High Noon
by Teriannhatcher
Summary: The story of Rennesme that picks up 7 years after Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer leaves off. The Cullens are on the verge of moving to Alaska but the Volturi want Rennesme and are willing to go to any lengths to get her.
1. Summons

****I do not own Twilight or the characters, but I do own this plot****

****I am accepting reviews on the plot only. This is a rough ROUGH draft and a work in progress, spelling, grammar, and general mistakes are in here because I'm getting it out before polishing it...if my writing process bothers you don't read it****

The wheezing that morning broke her concentration. Jacob had fallen asleep in what appeared to be the most uncomfortable position ever, but was managing to make the best of it. Brushing the bronze curls behind her ears that had fallen in her face. She slid past the living room where he was asleep on the couch down the hallway to the bathroom without so much as a noise.

She never slept. Instead she spent much of her night lying next to her best friend and the warmth of his body next to hers. "I have a heartbeat, but I'm not human, then again, neither is Jake." She mused.

In the mirror her fingers nimbly braided her hair as if they were doing it on their own and she had no real will over her body. A pair of shorts that Alice had worn once and cast away, a black t-shirt, and a pair of running shoes, she looked as if she was going out for a morning jog, not to suck the life from an animal.

About to slip out the door, she heard a warning called from the kitchen.

"Nessie make it quick, you need to be at the school by eight for the run through. This is your first and most likely only high school graduation. I won't let you miss it".

"Yes, Edward. Just a snack to tide me over, promise". She'd taken to calling her father by his name since they'd had to pretend to the world they were uncle and niece. How else would they explain how much they looked similar and roughly the same age? With this she bolted down the wooden porch stairs and across the field that was their front yard and into the thick ridge of trees. She enjoyed going out in the mornings the best, the Washington state air was crisp and the smell of nature was at its prime. She especially enjoyed the space it gave her. There was always family around, someone was always at the house.

A few minutes past her favorite clearing she smelled it, she tracked it for a while until she realized the blood she smelt was a human. It took her every inch of control she had to turn around and run back, but she managed. She gave up the craving for mountain lion and surprised a deer on her way back, if Edward had to come looking for her because she'd continued to look for a mountain lion in another direction she would have had hell to pay.

Sliding through the door just before seven, she could hear two voices in the kitchen now. Her mother must have completed the paper she was working on for her thesis. She had all the respect of a mother for Bella. She'd made a difficult decision to give birth to Rennesme when it would have almost certainly killed her and taken her away from Edward. She obeyed her as such, but their friendship was wonderful as well. They truly were sisters emotionally. They shared more than one common bond, in Edward, but in Jacob too. Jacob had been her mother's best friend and in turn Jacob had been Nessie's.

A short minute later she had returned to the kitchen showered, dressed and hair back in a neat pony tail low enough for her cap to fit on. The pale grass green tunic accented her bronze hair and a pair of black leggings and ballet flats and she was ready to dart out the door.

"You look great Rennesme", Bella smiled as she slid around the corner. That was the one thing about Bella, she refused to use the nickname her father and Jacob and everyone else for that matter called her. "Hold that thought", she said quickly and darted from the room. A second later she returned with a necklace in her hand "My Nana's locket, perfect".

"Will you make sure Jake gets up? He was out late last night, he needs some sleep, and I don't want to wake him up now." Nessie asked Bella.

"Yes, I will get him up in time." Bella assured her. "Now get going, you have to drive there like a normal person and please don't drive so fast, you are going to draw attention to us the way you were driving yesterday."

Bella must have seen her when she was out yesterday, she was sure she'd pay for that one later.

She shut the door on her Volkswagen GTI and turned on the engine and listened to it purr. I hadn't been her first choice, she'd wanted Jake to rebuild her mom's old truck, but Edward had refused. Jake approved of the VW, though there was no way his rabbit could ever keep up with this machine. She zipped down the winding road like it was nothing and slowed her speeds when she hit the main road with traffic. Arriving at school she pulled the car into a parking spot out towards the back of the parking lot like she had for the past two years.

Her growth had slowed enough that she could attend a regular high school with regular children and still fit in though obviously she was a great deal smarter and mature than them despite the fact she was technically only 7 years old. She would probably not be doomed to repeat high school like her parents or her aunts and uncles at least since she would look older than the average teenager by the time her aging stopped entirely.

Her thin willowy figure floated to the trunk for her cap and gown as if it were a carefully choreographed dance. She had already accepted a position with Alaska Dance Theater in Anchorage, which was well timed since her family was moving soon. Edward and Bella could not stay much longer without suspicion, Carlyle and Esme had left two years prior. They would be moving to Alaska with the rest of the coven during the summer. She instantly though of Jacob. They were so close; she loved him from day one. '_Not just puppy love either'_ she smirked to herself at the inside joke. Their souls were much older than others around them, as if they had always been meant for each other. The way Bella was made for Edward. In the years she'd been studying ballet, really only the first month had been 'studying' the way she picked things up. She was far better than her teachers and had been labeled a protégé and was sought after by many of the world's top touring companies.

Her parents encouraged her to take the offer from the American Ballet Theater. Her answer was a firm no. She would be touring too much and never home, there was only one thing she wanted more than dance and that was Jacob Black.

"Nessie Cullen…snap out of it's your turn" Miss Weber prodded from her perch on the stage, moving on quickly she continued leading students through the walk through.

An hour later and the audience had started to file in through the gym doors. The entire Cullen coven sitting separately through the crowd as to not draw attention to a crowd of people who never seemingly aged. Even Carlyle and Esme hair dyed gray in spots to age them a bit had made the trip down for this occasion. She openly referred to Carlyle as gramps; most people assumed she did it in a joking manner.

Rows of students filed in and as Nessie walked thought the door she began feverishly scanning the crowd for Jacob, not able to locate this large brilliant happy smile she'd come to look forward to seeing daily. As she was forced to sit in her seat she heard the few last guests shuffle in the door behind her, among them Billy Black being pushed by Jacob to front row seating. A short wave assured he'd seen her and that she could safely turn around knowing he had arrived safely.

The program whirled through quicker then she imagined it would be and before she knew it she was saying goodbyes to friends.

"Rennesme, we're going to Carlyle and Esme's, don't be too long." Bella smiled as she closed the door to the Volvo she'd rode to Fork's high school in with Edward.

She could smell him coming from behind her but chose to pretend she didn't. "I'll be there as soon as I get rid of the mutt".

Jacob mock scoffed offence to the statement but couldn't hold back his grin for long.

"Get in the VW Mr. Black", Nessie playfully demanded without even turning around.

"Why should I get in this piece of junk?" he prodded.

Whirling around to meet his grin she hugged him and pulled back. "Because if you don't, you'll be walking back to La Push from here, which truth be told, is faster than driving that old VW Rabbit you call a car."

"Ouch," he winced "that hurts." He continued his routine of mock offence all the way to the Cullen's home.

A short unessisarily fast drive later they were at Carlyle and Esme's home. Obviously Nessie had forgotten the warning about her driving speed from Bella earlier in the morning. Cap and grown thrown into the back seat of the car Nessie and Jacob exited the car and sauntered into the Cullen's home.

A banner with the word Congratulations was pinned above the door and inside was full of twinkling lights and flowers and a small cake on the table. _Not too out of control I guess, Bella must have reined Alice in, at least half the school isn't here_. Something felt different though when she walked in to the kitchen to look for her family. She could hear them talking in hushed voices and feel the anxiety. They knew she was there even if she didn't make a sound; Edward would have heard her thoughts and laughed at her comment about Alice that is if they didn't smell Jacob first.

"Ok, obviously something is up." She started before she rounded the corner into the dining room. The look she received wasn't one of congratulations so much as anxiety and worry. "What…what happened?" he gazed darted to Jasper standing against the far wall, why wasn't he trying to calm the nerves in here. Without looking at her handed her a letter inside the smoothest paper envelope she'd ever seen. The paper had gold flecks in it and the calligraphy hinted at its origin. She bit her lip as she removed the letter.

"A summons from the Volturi?" She gasped, now she understood.


	2. Almost

"What does this mean for us Carlisle? I thought they were leaving us be." Bella's voice trailed off as her eyes darted from Nessie to the head of the table.

"Could be anything. A check up I assume, she's been nothing but exemplary when it comes to behavior. Let me see the summons Nessie." Carlisle motioned for the summons. Nessie still shaking slightly obliged and handed him the thick gold flecked paper.

"They want to investigate her powers further and to make sure her growth is near complete." Alice added without ever looking towards the paper. "I can see it; it's a harmless summons, for now." The ominous look on her face suggested she thought otherwise, the grimace on Edwards face confirmed it.

"She appears to be correct dear," Carlisle said as he eyes lifted from the paper he held in his hands. "You've been invited to Volterra as a gift for your birth. That was thoughtful". His brow wrinkled as he passed the invitation to Edward for him to view, Bella snatched the summons from table before Edward could grab it. Edward showed her his usual grin; _she wouldn't be able to do that if I could read her mind_.

"You heard Carlyle read it when he had it, it's my turn." Bella said as she proceeded to read with her coy smile curling the edges of her lips slowly.

"I won't let them bring her there and keep her." Edward growled. "I don't trust them, not after…not after the last time."

"Over my dead body," Bella hissed as she handed the invitation off to be passed around the table.

"I'm afraid she'll have to comply or we'll have a repeat of seven years ago. As far as Alice can tell it's harmless for now. They know Alice can see the future, they won't decide till Nessie arrives, they won't risk not getting her there." Carlisle was frowning now. "We either send Nessie alone, or the entire coven has to go, but if we all go it will look very suspicious."

"I could go with her" Jacob said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. Bella suspected the idea of going to the Italian Vampire Mob, as he'd come to call it, terrified him, but the idea of Rennesmee going alone was far worse. "They know about me, they might not feel as threatened and at least Nessie would have a chaperone, someone that would know what was going on and be able to give you clearer details."

"I'd be blind to everything then, no way!" Alice pointedly interjected. "I wouldn't be able to see Nessie or the Volutri because you would be there. You would be the worst person to send."

A small growl came from behind Jacob's teeth as he stared Alice down. "We know you feel protective of Nessie Jacob." Carlisle interrupted. "He does have a point though as does Alice. We could send Jacob with her, but he would need to remain outside of the city so we could still get a clear picture of the Volturi. Perhaps it will lure them into a false sense of security and we might catch wind of their plans sooner. They will assume that since Jacob is in Volterra we won't be able to see them, but if they don't know he's left we'll be able to catch them sooner."

"If they do decide to do something though it's a long flight from here to Italy Carlosle." Rosalie spoke up for the first time. "Maybe a vacation is in store, I hear the hunting in the French country side this time of year is nice." Rosalie's grin widened from showing her guilty smile. _SHOPPING IN PARIS! _Alice and Rosalie almost screamed in unison in thought, Edward winced with pain, their thoughts could be very loud at times especially and had seemly gotten louder as the years past.

"Well this was hand delivered; I would not doubt that our movements are already being watched. Jacob, has there been any issues lately?" Carlisle inquired then added, "Any different smells? I'm sure if they are hunting in the area they are being very precise about cleaning up their mess, if they aren't running out of the area to hunt all together. They would however leave a trail."

"They are no longer here. They sent the large one, Felix, to deliver the letter; he's returning to Volterra as we speak, they don't plan on returning unless she does not reply." Alice interrupted before Jacob could respond.

"Interesting, perhaps our cousins in England would be happy for a visit. We'll go ahead of her and Jacob and Nessie could go to Italy during the time they request her." Carlisle added, "It is best you are prompt with your reply Nessie, you may use my study to write your reply."

"I will Carlisle" Nessie picked the invitation from the table and darted to study.

Carlisle has so many lovely kinds of paper; I'm not sure what could possibly match the Volturi invitation in formality though. I should get out lined paper and a plan white envelope, maybe if I offend them they want to keep me.

"Sweetheart my good paper is in the bottom drawer of the cabinet over here against the wall." Esme said as she appeared in the doorway, and just as quickly she was gone.

Nessie opened the drawer and found several verities of heavy cardstock. A pale dusky violet shade with traces of silver that looked like stars caught her eye. Pulling a few pieces from the drawer she sat at Carlisle's desk to write.

_Honorable Aro,_

_Thank you so much for your invitation to Volterra. I'm honored that you have thought of me on my birthday. Carlisle has told me so much about the festivals this time of year and I look forward to the experience. I will be joining you on the dates requested. Please send my regards to Caius and Marcus. I look forward to meeting with you again._

_Respectfully yours,_

_Renesmee Carlie Cullen_

Satisfied her calligraphy was perfect; she removed a heavy cream colored envelope from the desk drawer and addressed it to the address on the invitation envelope. After placing the card in the envelope and sealing it, adding a silver wax stamp for a special touch, she placed it in Carlyle's outbox to go out in the morning.

I need to think. I should take Jake home and come back and dance for a bit. Dancing clears my thoughts. I've always been able to show someone what I wanted them to see just by touching their face. Dance was just another way to show people without freaking them out by giving them visions. I spent much of my time with my school friends avoiding touching them so I didn't accidentally show them something. _Wow, it's gotten late. _Renesmee gazed out the window for a moment. When she finally emerged out of the study Jacob was sitting at the bottom of the steps.

"Hey Jake" She was quiet. She could see the concern in his face, the idea of escorting her to the Volturi was the last thing he wanted to do, but he wouldn't leave her either. "You don't have to go if you don't want to." She offered quietly.

"Of course I want to go Nessie, don't be silly." He frowned and turned his face to meet hers. "I would prefer to take you somewhere else where you won't be paraded in front of a bunch of two faced blood suckers. Somewhere we could enjoy ourselves and be alone, but I will never leave you Nessie, never." He said pointedly.

"We could arrange the flight for a day or so ahead of my arrival date, get a little alone time." She grinned at him with eyes gleaming with guilt. The snarl from the kitchen broke that. _We'll talk about this later dad_. Her thoughts were the only place she called him dad. Edward still didn't like the idea of Jacob being destined for Nessie, but as time passed and she grew up it was hard to deny how much they adored each other and how just seemed to work. "Let's get you back to La Push" she said as she patted his knee and started to get up.

"I think I'll phase and run back tonight. I need to let the others know to be on the lookout for any new scents. Just in case the blood suckers decide to come back."

"Hey, I resemble that remark" she pointed out as she playfully shoved him.

He looked at her then, one she'd seen many times, the one that looks like it will end in a kiss and never seems to. He reached one arm behind her back on the stairs and brought his other hand to her face and looked into her eyes. In a low gravelly voice he whispered "If something happened to you Nessie, I'd never forgive myself. I'm going to do everything in my power to protect you when we go to Italy. I love you Nessie Cullen."

That was perhaps the first time he'd said that and meant it in a non-friendship fashion. A small gasp escaped her lips as he leaded in closer. Their noses touching she could feel his warm breath and their lips not quite a half inch from each other. Then suddenly he sat back up without kissing her as he always does. "Your dad would kill me." The chuckle from the other room confirmed it. "I'm pushing it sleeping on your couch from time to time" he grinned and this time she returned it, even she knew the truth.

"Ok, well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, I imagine we'll need to start planning our trip."

"Good night Nessie." He hugged her and was off to the tree line to disrobe before phasing.

A couple of weeks earlier she'd followed him one night to the tree line and seen the outline of his body in the moon as he stood there calming himself before phasing. The way his warm brown skin glistened in the moon made him even more handsome to her. She had wanted to go closer but he was gone in an instant. Nessie caught hell from Edward when she returned. She reminded him that she was an adult now and there was no reason to be so intrusive. They agreed that he would tone it down and when it came to her dance practices where she spent her time thinking, he would do his best to avoid her thoughts entirely. They had moved her dance bar and built a small studio in Edward's old room in the Cullen's large house so she could spend some time away from her parents in peace. So far they were keeping up with their end of the deal and she kept hers by not getting out of control with Jacob.

Nessie marched slowly back up the stairs and down to the far end of the hall. She found a new pair of pink Pointe shoes, a light blue leotard and a purple wrap skirt. The note attached was from Esme, a gift for graduation. The new stereo system against the wall from Emette and Rosalie. She turned the CD player on the music that came from it was familiar, a recording of Debussy by Edward she was sure. After previewing the rest of the CD she moved to the bar to start her routine of stretches, dancing, and clearing her thoughts for the day.

_I've been given such a wonderful life by amazing people, anything I could have ever wanted I have. I feel guilty for wanting more. But what will my life be like when my growth is complete, when I tire of dancing and need a new hobby. I don't know if I could go on without someone to share it with. Sharing my life with people has always been my biggest joy. Just a touch and they can see everything I've seen. Dancing came naturally for me, as if it was another way to communicate, only this time with emotion. _

_I want Jacob. The issues it would cause would be great. I don't think I'd ever be able to give him children but at least he'd never age with me. He imprinted on me immediately and honestly even then I knew it was meant to be. I wonder how the Volturi will respond once Jacob proposes; Alice has already seen it, even though she refuses to tell me when or how. _

_I really wanted him to kiss me tonight; I wanted to know what his lips feel like. I know Jake is just trying to stay on their good side but honestly I don't know what he's waiting for. _

_Jacob is what I've always wanted. Patient, honest, faithful and respectful. Dad of all people should understand this; he was no less to mom ever. I know dad wants me to experience more of the world but Jacob fulfils those urges without ever having to leave. _

She felt a pair of eyes on her, not from the doorway but from somewhere out in the trees and then she could see him sitting there watching her contently. His fur was moving with the wind his eyes contently trained on the window watching her dance.

_I wonder how often he does that. _

The music stopped and she walked to the back of the room acutely aware that Jacob was still watching from the trees. In contrast to earlier she pulled a plain sheet of notebook paper from her bag and a pen and when she was done she walked to the window and pressed it to the glass.

_**I love you Jacob Black.**_


	3. Unsaid

_I amaze myself sometimes how long I dance, but when you don't get tired, you dance as long as you feel like it._

Nessie sighed as she slipped the new satin dance shoes into her book bag. It was already morning when she realized just how long she'd been dancing. She wanted to keep dancing and clear her mind but she'd made plans with Jacob and a few others from his pack to go to the beach at La Push. As she zipped the last pocket closed she caught the distinct smell of eggs wafting through the house. Obviously Esme intended for her to eat before she left. She would oblige to make her happy, though in the last few years her need for human food decreased dramatically, she much preferred the hunt. Admittedly though after ten hours of dancing a good human food breakfast would do her some good, especially if she intended to swim or surf with the pack.

As she slipped down the stairs bag in hand she paused to watch Emmett and Jasper beat the last level of a video game she was sure they'd talked about getting the night before. She moved on to the kitchen where Esme was busy tossing an omelet.

"Would you like any bacon or sausage hun?" she smiled as the omelet did another impossible flip in the air.

"No thank you." Nessie smiled. "I will take some yogurt and whole wheat toast though". She amazed herself how hungry she was, she ate every bit of food Esme had prepared for her. After cleaning up her plate she gave Esme a kiss on the cheek, thanked her, and slipped out the door towards her Volkswagen.

The ride to La Push was a quick one. The treaty the Quileute and the Cullen's had long since been modified. The Cullen's were now free to pass through the Quileute land as long as they didn't hunt and they always kept their word. The change was because Jacob imprinted on her, she was the common bond between the two families. The pack in the last years had come to accept Nessie as if she were one of their own. She helped Emily often by babysitting her and Sam's two small children, with a third on the way it did Emily good to have some time away from the house with Sam. Children felt awkward to Renesmee, the two little boys ran circles around her.

As the VW pulled to a stop under the same big pine tree she always parked it under should could hear Jacob inside packing the last of his swimming gear and start towards the front door. As if in a panic he stopped suddenly and retreated back to his room pulled open a desk drawer and closed it again. _What on earth is he going back for?_ Her brow furrowed as she thought this. Jacob emerged shortly with a large grin stretched across his face.

"Ready for me to drown you in some waves chica?" Jacob called as he came to the driver side of the car and motioned for the keys.

"Haha you can try" she said giving him a smug look.

Nessie obliged and handed him the key ring, it was probably safer for his stomach that way. The hills leading down to the beach were steep and she had a tendency to stare off at the rocks below.

The drive down to the beach was filled with idle chatter about the others in the pack and who was going to be at the beach. When they pulled into their spot most of the group was already there and claiming their spots on the beach.

"Hey Nessie!" Emily called as they crossed the sand towards the group. Almost instantly both boys were running circles around her. _How DID they have that much energy?_ Jacob and Nessie put their bags next to Emily's umbrella and spread out a blanket from Nessie's trunk. She hadn't grabbed the umbrella, no chance of sunshine today; it looked more like it was on the brink of rain any moment.

"Embry and Paul will be her shortly; they were finishing up one last grid pattern to make sure the woods were clear of any _visitors_. I expect they'll be bringing the wives and children with them as well." Sam said as he came toward the group carrying a large cooler filled with ice and drinks for the group. "We can start a fire and start cooking then."

"Let's go for a walk before everyone gets here Jake." Nessie said softly gesturing towards the far end of the beach and the rocks she always loved to climb on.

"Sure, well be back in a bit, just going to take a walk" Jacob said to the rest of the group. They started off towards the rocks and Jacob took Nessie's hand. They talked this way only when others weren't around. Nessie would show him pictures and Jacob would answer her back. She showed him her memory of him the previous night watching her dance through the large glass windows.

"You caught me." He blushed and she showed him the memory of her pressing the paper to the glass.

"Yes, I saw it, I love you too." With this she smiled and looked away, she didn't want him to see her blush. She showed him her worry that he might get hurt if he went to Volterra with her and then quickly followed it up with the memory of her telling him he didn't have to go.

"I'm going Nessie and that's the end of it. I know you're worried, heck, I'm worried. There isn't a question though if I'm going or not, I will be coming with you." With this the conversation lulled for a bit as they hopped from one rock to the next, obviously this was much easier for Nessie, but at least Jacob could keep up. "I think we should get back, Paul and Embry just got her and before you ask, no I'm not going to race you."

"Guilty as charged" She smiled and stuck her arms out as if she were being handcuffed then dropped them as she giggled to herself. He doesn't race me anymore, I always win.

Arriving back to the spot where the others had gathered they noticed the bonfire was already going and fish the men had caught earlier that morning were hanging on a spit. Nessie enjoyed this time she spent with Jacob. She was trying not to take any time for granted. He knew she was going to Alaska with her family, she'd always implied she wanted him to come. It hadn't struck her till now to ask him. She grabbed his hand, showed him a picture of the two of them in Alaska making a home together. She showed her regret for leaving his pack behind and showed him how sad she'd be if he stayed but that she would understand.

His gaze spoke volumes without as much as a word. He stared of in the distance with a great amount of anguish in his eye. She could tell that he didn't want to leave the pack behind. In the last seven years he'd become a very confident leader and the bonds between the united packs was stronger every day. His look drifted to the idea of building a life together with Nessie, the love that evolved from that first meeting was equally as strong. "Of course I'm going with you. You are my world Nessie, you always have been." He whispered as he turned his face to towards hers. "I wouldn't be complete or whole here alone. We've discussed it. Leah will be in charge of the core group here. I will still be able to phase in Alaska and give orders or ask for help if need be."

"The salmon is ready you two come get some before Sam and the kids end up eating it all." Emily interrupted with a knowing smile.

"Do you want some or did you eat earlier." He turned to say to her, but she was already up and at the fire making them plates. _She moves way to fast. _

"I'm going to have to dance for two days straight after all the food I've eaten today." She said just moment later plopping down next to them with their plates. She enjoyed the fire roasted salmon whenever it was made, passing it up would be a sin in her book. While she still preferred hunting, eating fresh salmon and halibut from a fire was her absolute favorite human food. There was nothing that could beat the freshness of it or the flavors that came with it. After cleaning her plate and throwing her trash away she ran back to the car and grabbed her swimming bag. When she returned Jacob was sprawled out on the blanket they'd brought.

"Ugh, how can you even think about swimming after all the food we just ate?" Jacob protested as she came close. Nessie chuckled and kicked a little sand his way and took off with her board towards the waves before he could catch her. He would probably lay there for a while longer. She paddled out a ways to avoid some waves and float back in.

She loved just being able to sit on her board and think. She could catch a wave when she got closer to the beach. Listening intently to the water rushing beneath her, the salty smell of the ocean, and the wind that blew on her face brought her a peace even dancing couldn't give her. She was awoken from her trance by a little commotion on the shore. As she drifted neared to the shore she noticed a large number of the party were gone, scanning further she noticed it was pretty much the women left, she paddled in quickly.

"Where is Jacob? Where did everybody go?" She asked looking around confused and a bit bewildered that Jacob would leave without so much as a goodbye, it wasn't like him.

"They didn't say where they were going, or what happened." Rachel answered looking just as confused. "Seth had come out of the woods howling about something. They took off into the woods after him. Jacob said we should all go home now. It seemed urgent so we're packing up now, you should too." The look in Rachel's eye was a warning of some kind. A thousand scenarios flooded her mind of what had happened, the one that returned the most though was something was wrong at home.

_Something must have happened with my family. _With that she was in the woods racing to the house, she'd come back for her car later, right now it would only slow her down.


	4. Return

The house was dark when she broke the tree line and ran through the field towards her parent's house. This was the closes place to look first. Someone was here, I could hear them.

"Get changed Renesmee. We've got guests at Carlisle and Esme's we need to go greet." Bella said from the front porch swing as Nessie ran around the side of the house. "Put something nice on, a swim suit isn't really appropriate for today."

Nessie became vaguely aware that she'd put her tennis shoes back on when she'd come up the beach, but had forgotten her swim trunks and ran all the way back in her two piece suit and surfing shirt, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, thank God nobody would have seen that. "Ha, I guess not. I was out on my surf board and I came back in and the girls said Jacob and the rest of the pack had taken off into the woods and that something was wrong." She said searching Bella's eyes for a sign of trouble.

"No trouble, just unexpected, welcomed guests is all. I imagine they are running perimeter to make sure there weren't any other unexpected guests. We've had enough vampires sneak in under the radar in the last couple of days." Bella said alluding to Felix's unannounced appearence to deliever the invitation. Bella motioned to the door becoming more impatient that Nessie was still standing there looking half wild.

Nessie went to her room walking at a much more human speed wondering who could possibly be waiting at the other house to see her. Sifting through her closet that was equally the size of her room (thanks to Alice) Nessie found an ashy lavender pencil dress that had once been Esme's around 1940. It had short cap sleeves and a key hold slit in the pleated neckline. After pulling her stockings on, she put her running shoes back on and grabbed a pair of pair of black pumps from the shelf and stuffed them under her arm. She could have easily made it to the other house in the pumps, but Alice would have killed her because of the mud. She let out her messy braid once she got to the bathroom and pulled it up into a very loose bun. Tucking the stray hairs behind her ears and grabbing the shoes again she darted out the door.

"Much better." Bella complemented as she stood up from the swing. "Except for the shoes, ha, Alice will just love that. I still don't understand why Alice insists we run everywhere in in high heals. Seven years later and it still seems incredibly unpractical." She shook her head at the thought.

With that the two women were off into the tree line running through the trees at breakneck speed towards the main house. Just before the edge of the trees the two paused for a moment so Nessie could change her shoes. Tossing the running shoes into a familiar bush and putting the black pumps on in a matter of two seconds they were through the trees and heading up the front porch.

Nessie groaned when she walked in the house, Esme was cooking again. Her hand instinctually fell to her stomach. There is no way I could eat again, not after the large breakfast and then the salmon at the beach. The next sent that wafted in from the kitchen had to be the new visitors. _Vampires, human blood drinking type, who could it possibly be?_ Rounding the corner into the kitchen she found Esme and Carlisle talking to a young man who had his back turned to her at first. The young woman sitting at the table only vaguely looked familiar.

"Ah Nessie! You remember Nahuel and his aunt?" Carlisle asked as she walked toward the table.

"Certainly, yes." Nessie shook her head, she remembered the young man as if it were yesterday. He'd come all the way from South America with Alice to prove to the Volturi that half human half vampire children were not a threat to the security of the vampire secret.

"I must say, you certainly do not look the same Renesmee Cullen." He exclaimed as he turned to face her. He looked the same as he had seven years ago when she saw him from her perch on Jacob's back. His face was slender and young without a single wrinkle showing his almost 160 years of life. His eyes were still the warm brown color she remembered from their first meeting. She was glad she never had to hide her eye color like her mom had for the first year.

"Thank you Nahuel, I must admit, you look exactly the same as I remember." Perplexed she asked, "What on earth has brought you all the way to Washington State though. I can't imagine the soggy weather has lured you here for a vacation."

"Ah, yes." He turned back towards Carlisle and his jaw visibly tighter. "I received a bit of mail yesterday from our dear friends in Italy. They want me to join them for a visit in two weeks. Apparently the same time they want you there as well. I came to ask Carlisle's advice, my aunt has a feeling something fishy is going on. We remembered Alice of course and we hoped she could tell us what the Volturi had planned."

"Are they up to something Carlisle, has something changed that quickly from yesterday?" Nessie shot off the question immediately her eyes darting from the guest to Carlisle.

"Alice still sees nothing, but the additional invitation for Nahuel, only brings more doubt to the situation for her. She thinks they are blocking her somehow. She doesn't know if they are doing it with a new vampire or if they are just keeping their thoughts clean. She's fairly certain it's no longer innocent like they lead us to believe." The grave look on his face gave away his deeper thoughts.

"I'm fairly certain they want to acquire, one or both of you in some way, for now though, I can't see their motive, or the outcome. Something or someone is blocking me." Alice chimed in as she came into the kitchen with Jasper on her heals. "Edward is out looking for Jacob, to tell them who the visitor is and that they know the rules and mean no harm."

Nessie smiled, that was her next question. The next few minutes where filled with idle chit chat while they waited for Jacob and Edward to return. Esme presented Nahuel with a pretty impressive feast, though much like Nessie; he had already eaten too much that day to really partake.

When Edward walked through the door most of the gathering had migrated to the living room with the exception of Emmett and Jasper who'd gone to hunt.

"No news eh, Alice?" Edward said as he slid across the room and wrapped his arms around Bella. It was more of a statement then a question, he could hear her, he knew what she knew without asking. The frown on Alice's face only confirmed the answer to everyone else around them.

Jacob walked in the door behind him a few moments later and paused at the door. His normal reaction when there was a new or unfamiliar vampire in the house. His eyes met Nahuel's and studied them. He recognized him after a few seconds and relaxed a bit. He continued across the living room as if the rest of the vampires weren't even there and stood by Nessie's side and reached for her hand.

_You left without saying goodbye, not so much a word what was wrong. I was so worried Jacob. You'll laugh though, I ran all the way back in what I had on while surfing, and I totally forgot my shorts._

Jacob laughed at the thought and proceeded to have one he shouldn't have; the subtle grimace from Edward stopped it short.

"I'm sorry Nessie, Seth left to start a round and came back very quickly saying he'd picked up a scent. You were so far out, I thought I'd let you enjoy your quite time." He whispered in her ear. He laughed at the futility in this, everyone in the room could hear him if he'd whispered it from outside. She squeezed his hand again. "You look incredible by the way, as always." He added bashfully.

_Mr. Black you have to stop or you are going to make me blush. _

"Your plane tickets are set Tuesday morning. I know it's earlier then the request on the invitation, but Carlisle and Alice thought it best to go sooner to throw them off guard." Rosalie said as she came in the room and handed the reservations for the plane tickets to Nessie. Motioning to Alice "That gives you two days to pack for her."

"I'll let you help Bella, don't worry." Alice smiled. Obviously Bella was planning on packing for Renesmee herself to prevent Alice from packing a bunch of frilly things that wouldn't be appropriate for her. With this, Bella smiled, sometimes Alice and Rosalie did so much it felt like Rennesme wasn't really her daughter. Truth was she belonged to everyone a little bit. Giving birth to Renesmee had brought Rosalie and Bella closer. It had melted Rosalie's coldness to Bella so much that a friendship was formed between them, much like how Bella and Alice had always been. It had given Rosalie an opportunity to experience a little bit of what it was like to raise a child, something she'd always wanted to do.

"I made reservations for Nahuel and his aunt too, so the four of you can go on the same flight." Rosalie added before she slinked back to the computer to finish making the reservations for the rest of the coven to go to England.

"Thank you." Nahuel said as he looked up from a medical book he was busy studying with Carlisle. His aunt also nodded and went back to discussing their life in South America with Jasper.

_Let's go take a walk._ Nessie said to Jacob when she squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. They moved through the back of the house and exited through a back door into the trees and walked at a human speed toward the river.

"I didn't recognize the scent when we picked it up in the woods. It's defiantly Nahuel and his aunt we smelled though. Seth knew it was a man and a woman and that it smelled vaguely familiar. We couldn't take the chance that it was a visit from the Volturi though. Sorry we left so quickly, I really did want to surf with you." He said as they cleared the first few trees.

"I understand, the pack is so quick to make sure my family is safe. I appreciate it, we all do." She answered with a smile. She sighed and thought _what are you waiting for Jacob Black? _Instantly she realized he had probably just heard that.

"Waiting on what Nessie?" He asked kind of confused. He'd heard her thought, but he was sure she hadn't meant for him to. He was right she blushed and turned away.

"Ah, haha, nothing." She shook her head and looked down and studied the rocks along the river as if she were intent upon avoiding ones that she might trip over, as if she really needed to worry about tripping that is. The guilt must have given her away then.

Before she realized what he was doing he'd spun her around so she was facing him. He slid one hand to the small of her back and the other up to her face and pressed his lips to hers with a light pressure. The heat from his lips on hers exploded like fireworks. It felt amazing. The picture it brought to her mind as they stood there kissing made her completely awestruck.

_Wow, he's an AWESOME kisser_. She thought rather dumbfounded.

Jacob stifled a laugh and broke the kiss to pull away and look at her face.

"Apparently I can hear your thoughts and see what you see even more intensely when we're kissing."

Nessie blushed. Apparently there would be no safety of her thoughts with him either. She could control what people saw, so she though. With Jacob it seemed to be different, she had no ability to keep him out or maybe some part of her just didn't want to.

"Well in that case, come here I have a few more things to show you," she said as she smiled and stood on her toes to reach his lips again. The sparks she showed him would have been borderline cheesy to a normal person, but it was every bit the way she felt about him in that moment.


	5. Sleep

****8/15/10 I apologize for the delay in posting. I've been horribly sick and I was out for a couple days at work. I was completely sure last week this 'chapter' was going to be way too short to make a chapter out of it and I would just have to add it to chapter 4…it has turned out to be my longest so far.****

She'd been fortunate enough to avoid a graduation party two nights prior, she wouldn't escape it tonight. Alice had reorganized the party for Monday evening and invited some of Renesmee's human friends she'd gone to school with, the Cullen clan and their two guests, and of course Jacob and the pack. The party was going to be much bigger then Nessie would ever want, but she loved her Aunt Alice so much she humored her.

Picking out clothing for her was another story however. Nessie had put her foot down a couple of years ago. She didn't mind that Alice bought cloths she thought would look good on her, but telling her what to wear was off limits. Alice figured out pretty quickly that Nessie had a pretty good taste in clothing and her preferences leaned more towards handmade or retro instead of the high fashion Rosalie and Alice preferred. Alice had run with this idea and outfitted a huge closet with clothing that Nessie almost always enjoyed.

_So why is it I can't find anything to wear?_ She mused as she pushed hangers across the bars, looked in garment bags and dug through drawers.

"Need some help?" Bella offered sticking her head in Renesmee's closet door.

"An opinion of someone not trying to turn me into a Barbie doll is always welcome." She smiled back and waved her in. Bella started sifting through the clothes much as Renesmee had. "I wish I'd saved the purple dress from yesterday, it would have been so appropriate for today."

"Eh, I think you should wear something a little younger Renesmee. This is supposed to be a fun evening for you and your friends. Why dress so adult?" Bella smiled and handed her a garment bag from a rack Renesmee hadn't sorted through yet.

She opened the bag to reveal a simple yellow cotton dress with a low square cut neckline and a gauzy white bolero jacket to wear over her shoulders.

"Perfect mom" she grinned as she pulled it off the hanger and started to put it on.

"I'll go find you some jewelry to wear, start pulling the knots out of your hair and I'll help you when I get back." Bella said as she walked from the room.

Bella returned with a necklace with a large amber piece and a small honey bee hanging from it. The color of the amber really went perfect with the dress. Bella helped her get it around her neck then took over brushing her hair out.

"We packed everything for your trip to Italy this morning. I imagine Carlisle will want to talk to everyone involved one more time after all the party guests leave tonight. Honestly I'm a little worried about what's going on." Bella admitted concentrating on freeing Renesmee's curls from the knots from this morning's swim. Jacob and Nessie had returned to the beach to finish surfing and collect her car.

"I'm worried too mom, Jacob seems too eager to just let this go as if it's nothing. He's so quick to see the easy side of things. This could all go very wrong." Nessie frowned as she looked down at her hands. "I feel like I'm being led into the middle of a fight I wasn't ever part of. I don't understand why the Volturi hate us so much, why can't they just let us be?"

"They're not supposed to be this way; they are supposed to uphold our laws. We don't know what their plan is yet, but the idea they are using you to get back at us or to acquire a few of us makes me sick. Hand me the hair tie." Bella requested as she motioned for hair tie. "I can only push my shield so far and I'm afraid I won't be able to push it there from England, much less even from Volterra if something happens. I want to be able to protect you."

Their eyes met in the mirror the anxious looks on their faces matched with the exception of the hair they could have been sisters.

"Ok, I think you're done." Bella said as she patted Renesmee's shoulders. "Let's get this over with."

The run to the house was a slow one this time. The party was the same as it was every time Alice organized one. The house overflowed with flowers, candles, lights, and food. Music seemed to come from everywhere while the mood seemed happy and jovial. Nessie on the other hand was anxious and dreading the trip to Italy in the early morning. Even Jasper couldn't break her mood and help her enjoy the evening. She sighed heavily as she watched the last of the guests leave out the front door. Carlisle wanted to see everyone in the dining room once the last person left so they could discuss the plans.

"Nessie, we're waiting on you." Edward called from the other room clearly getting impatient when he knew the last guest had left some time ago. Dragging her feet she sauntered to the other room unwillingly.

"Sorry" she said in an almost whisper as she rounded the corner into the dining room.

"Let's get started then. Nessie, Edward and Bella will drive Jacob and you to the airport at four am your flight leaves at six fifteen, which should be plenty of time to get situated. Nahuel, Alice and Jasper have volunteered to drive the two of you to the airport. Rosalie, where did you reserve for them to stay?" Carlisle asked as he turned his face towards her.

"The driver will pick you up from the airport and take you to the cottage we rented. All four of you should be at home there, it's a huge house. Plenty of extra bedrooms in case we all need to join you." Rosalie added.

"Separate bedrooms." Edward said through his teeth looking over his should at Nessie, this was a reminder to her since Jacob had Edward knew things between them had progressed further in the last few days and he knew Jacob planned on proposing to her soon, but he didn't want them that close right now. Nessie had enough to worry about.

_I understand Dad._ Nessie said to him and shook her head in understanding.

"How do we contact the Volturi once we've arrive?" Nahuel asked from the opposite end of the large table.

"The tower in the square, there is a door below it. Once you enter that door, they know you are there. I recommend the three of you go sometime in the late evening a day or two after you arrive. Give yourselves some time to look around the town before you go, acquaint yourself with the way in and the way back out and anywhere that might be a good place to hide if you need to make a quick escape." Carlisle warned grimly. "The general population of Volterra believes vampires are long gone, you must be extremely discrete. Nessie and Nahuel might be able to venture out during the day without much notice, but I suggest wearing clothes that cover well. Your skin doesn't sparkle like ours does, but you do have a certain unnatural glow to you. Take Jacob with you when you do go into the town and allow him to escort you to the door of the clock tower. If they have someone who knows you are coming, he might be able to block them. He must leave as soon as you enter the clock tower so Alice can see you again though. He must not go to the Volturi with you. Alice will never be able to see them around him."

"I understand Carlisle." Nessie said in a whisper, her mood had only gotten worse since she came into the dining room to discuss the trip. Jasper had been trying to cheer her up most of the night to no avail. Bella did her best to shield Nessie from things so she could feel what she really wanted to, but in a time like this, she could use a little cheer. At that thought Edward nudged Bella and motioned towards Nessie. She could feel the shield drop. _Much better, thank you._

"Festa of the Patron Saint begins on Saturday. I imagine the Volturi have many events lined up. At least a Ball or two, I assume Alice packed accordingly. You'll be expected to attend everything they invite you to. You won't be able to bring Jacob though Nessie, the Volturi might have tolerated it while they were here, but they will not tolerate him in their company. Do try your best to hide the smell before you go." Carlisle paused seemingly distracted momentarily then continued where he left off. " We've packed blackberrys for each of you. We want you to be able to keep in contact at a moment's notice. Our flights to Ireland leave on Thursday. We will be with Siobhan and her clan if or when you need us. After your first meeting with the Volturi we want you to give us a rundown of everything you see, think, feel or hear. Every little bit is important if we are to make a judgment of if we need to come or not. If they are planning on something more than just a visit we must know immediately. I think you understand, you should rest some Nessie. Bella, Edward, take her back to the cottage and let her rest, no dancing tonight."

_Sometimes I wonder if he reads minds too_. Nessie thought astonished he knew exactly what she planned on doing with the rest of her night. Edward chuckled out loud but nobody paid any attention to him.

"Let's get back to the cottage." Edward suggested in a hushed tone. "We'll pick  
Jacob up on the way to the airport Nessie, he had some last minute instructions to the pack he needed to deliver and finish packing his things for the trip."

He'd heard her wonder if Jacob would be there when she got there. It looked as if she had no way around resting as Carlisle had request. When they returned to the cottage Nessie walked slowly back to her room and changed into a black tank top and a pair of sweats she was sure Alice would throw away if she ever found them. Her mom had bought them for her a few weeks ago and kept them hidden well in the back of her closet.

She never even bothered to turn the lights on when she came in and fell asleep in a surprisingly short amount of time. She didn't sleep often now, when she did she usually slept heavy. Tonight she slept fitfully; the anxious tension she felt was not going away any time soon.

She gave up around one am and began dressing for their flight. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve pale pink t-shirt. She didn't want to call any attention to herself while traveling so she avoided any jewelry. If Alice had even left her any to wear that is she most likely had packed the outrageous jewels in her travel cases already. The two large cases had already been loaded into a van and were at the airport the night before. She had no idea what was in them. She pulled on her tennis shoes and started back to the other house since her parents had apparently already gone back to the other house.

Somewhere between the two houses she felt something and it stopped her in her tracks. _Is that Jacob or Sam? Jacob wouldn't be out here right now, he's probably still snoring. I'll probably have to wake him up when we get there_. The noise she had heard wasn't human and probably not animal either. Something smelled off as well. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. As quick as it came it was gone too, she'd mention it when she got to the house.

The cars were lined up in the drive way running when she arrived. When she walked in the front door Edward and Carlisle were just inside discussing a few last details of the trip.

"I trust you got some rest Nessie." Carlisle asked, he could tell she looked tired. "Maybe you can sleep on the plane."

"I think someone needs to be patrolling the woods Carlisle." Nessie pleaded abruptly.

"Why, is someone out there?" Edward asked in a demanding worried tone.

"I, I don't know. I heard something running over here and caught the slightest smell, it may have been miles away. It just felt, wrong." She answered the best she could. It was hard to describe what had made her stop so quickly.

"I see." Edward said softer this time. The two of them communicated better in silence then they did out loud. "Carlisle, will you call Jacob and wake him. See if he can pass the message to the pack before we arrive to pick him up. There is someone or something, perhaps at a relatively far distance that is not human or animal. Nessie caught a smell and a sound. She couldn't tell how close it was or where it was going. It was moving too quickly. We don't want to take any chances that there are intruders here after we've gone to Ireland."

"I will, and Nessie, have a nice flight. Its long, but try and get some rest." Carlisle smiled as he squeezed her arm then dashed to his study to call Jacob.

The rest of the house filed out to the cars and started on the way to the airport. Nessie sat in the back of the Mercedes with her head resting against the cool window glass. She was tired. The worry had kept her up most of the night. She was still staring out the window when they pulled up to Jacob's house. He was on the front porch waiting for them. No doubt he'd already been awake and phased to relay the last order before their arrival. He crawled into the back seat next to her and she turned to face him.

"Hey Jake." Nessie said transferring her head from the window to Jacob's warm shoulder and body.

"Hey Ness." Jake said back, but it fell on deaf ears. She had already fallen asleep on his shoulder.


	6. Another

**8/20/2010 This week has been incredibly busy I apologize for the delay**

The flight was a lot like the car ride to Seattle. Nessie spend most of it asleep with her head laid on Jacob shoulder or pressed to the glass of the airplane window. With only a short layover at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris, the four were off on their flight to Pisa where a driver was arranged to take them to the home Rosalie had rented for them a few days prior.

It amazed Nessie how much she'd felt the need to sleep. _I must have neglected it for too long. _ She frowned at her reflection in the glass of the window of the plane as it was taxiing to a stop in Pisa. She retrieved a small brush from her carry-on bag and started to pull the knots out of her hair.

"Good evening Sleeping Beauty." Jacob groaned as he woke up himself. "I thought you were going to sleep the entire trip and I was going to have to carry you to the car." His grin only got wider as he stretched his monstrous arms obviously cramped even in first class.

"I can't believe how much I've slept either. You'd think I was reverting to being a newborn again." They both laughed, Nessie had hardly been a classic newborn.

The baggage claim was extremely busy when they first arrived, but all four were able to find their bags easily. Nessie needed help removing her bags from the carousel. _Alice does NOT know how to pack light._ It took both her and Jacob to remove the two large traveling cases from the conveyor belt.

"Go find the driver Nessie." Jacob asked as he picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder and picked up the ends of her two cases and rolled them along the floor behind her. Nahuel and his Aunt were following closely behind him, not sure themselves which direction to go.

Nessie walked ahead of the group and came to a small thin man who looked like he could be great-grandfather. He was holding a paper sigh with _**Cullen**_ written on it. She smiled and showed the man her passport and he motioned for her to follow him.

"Where is all this stuff going to go?" Jacob looked perplexed as they arrived at the large Mercedes Sedan that sat in front of them.

The small old man pointed to the Mercedes van parked behind them. They had been prepared for a large amount of bag apparently. _Alice must have made Rosalie go back and arrange for another car._

"The sedan is your rental, follow me in the van. I will try and go slower, you Americans do not drive as fast as we do." Nessie smirked at the small old man, _if only he knew_. He smiled and crawled into the front seat of the van while the others got into the sedan.

"Maybe, I should have driven." Jacob said gripping the passenger side door. Clearly he was not comfortable at the speed she was taking some of the curves that he would have felt unfamiliar driving. The complaint made Nessie grin even bigger.

The drive to the house that Rosalie had rented wasn't long since the old man drove much like Alice does behind the wheel of a fast car. It was dark when they pulled up to the large farm house in the Volterra countryside. The tall walls of the main house were up of warm varied shades of tan brick. Two large glass and wood doors were in the very front of the home and above them on the second floor was a large crescent shaped window Nessie imagined you could view several miles into distance from. The house seemed to stretch back some ways.

"This place makes the doctor's house look like a shack Ness." Jacob muttered under his breath as they pulled to the back of the long cobbled stone driveway. The lights from the car splashed across an expansive garden filled with rose bushes and a large swimming pool. "Man, Blondie spared no expense."

Nessie found the key where it was said to be located and let the 3 of them in the house while Jacob helped to bring in the two large cases. Searching for the light switch Nessie flipped it on to find themselves in sizeable entranceway next to a kitchen.

"I need to hunt." Nahuel's aunt announced the moment the lights from the drivers van ran along the house signaling it was leaving the property. "I could not hunt before we left Washington. The airport and that driver really bothered me."

"I should join her then." Nahuel agreed. "I hate to leave the moment we get here."

"No, No that is fine. We could both use a little rest anyhow." Nessie agreed. By rest she had meant privacy, both had slept for most of the flight.

Nahuel and his aunt slid back out the door leaving their bags in the entry way where they'd left them. _They could have at least picked out rooms._ Nessie thought as they picked up the bags and ascended the stairs that were just a few feet down the hall.

Upstairs there was one long hallway that rand the expanse of the house. There were five doors on each side and one down on the end towards the front of the house. Nessie opened the first door she came to. She was surprised to find an office inside with a computer, printer, copy and fax machines and several other office machines. Trying the next door she found an expansive bedroom with cool white linens and a wrought iron bed frame. She laid Nahuel's bag on the bed and left. The next room down she dropped off the other bag and went to help Jacob up the stairs with the cases and their bags.

"Relax Nessie. I got the cases if you want to grab those two bags at the bottom of the stairs." Jacob said as she attempted to help him lift one of the cases.

"Just pick a room to toss it in and I'll be up in a minute." Nessie called to him as he got to the top of the stairs. The hallway was some-what narrow so he had to carry the case sideways down the hall.

Back up the stairs with the bags she found Jacob in the room at the very front of the house. She stopped momentarily and placed his bags in the smaller bedroom next to hers. She'd promised her father they would have separate bedrooms, that didn't mean they couldn't be next to each other.

"Aw we aren't sharing?" Jacob asked looking confused and a bit hurt.

"Dad said no, made me promise." Nessie said.

Jacob mumbled under his breath and went back to work pulling the large traveling cases over to the far wall where the large dresser was.

"I don't even want to know what they packed in here for you. It feels like several pounds of lead though." Dropping them suddenly he stalked from the room to put his belongings away.

"Thanks Jake." She gave a half smile as he walked past. She knew he was hurt about it, she just wish he could understand her wanting to obey her father's wishes.

With Jake out of the room she went about putting away the contents of her wardrobe boxes. Alice had packed many times before so Nessie imagined the trunks were probably completely full and flawlessly folded to avoid wrinkles. As always she was correct when it came to this presumption. She removed several stacks of clothing and several boxed pairs of shoes.

_I can't imagine wearing all of this, what was Alice thinking! At least it's not all lacey and see-through clothing. That would be positively mean to Jake. Let's see what she put in this one. Well I guess Carlisle did say there would be at least a couple balls, but five gowns, really? Wait, Alice didn't pack a swim suit, she knew there would be a pool, and of course I'd want to swim. I guess she left me something to buy for myself. _

After removing the last of the second box's contents she opened a few of the shutters that that covered the windows. As she thought earlier, you could in fact see for many miles the breath taking rolling hillsides.

_I should probably call home._

Slinking back down the hallway to the office she had found the phone. It only rang once before it was answered.

"Oh Nessie hun you made it." It was Esme.

"Yes Esme, we've unpacked, Nahuel and his aunt went hunting. Are Edward and Bella around?"

"They've gone to see Sam Uley, they haven't come back yet. They caught another wind of whatever you caught the other day."

Nessie felt panic set in. "Ok, I will try later or they can call the blackberry when they get in I guess. I will turn it on now. Good night Esme."

_What could possibly be out there? I hope it doesn't keep them from going to Ireland, what happens if something happens here. _

Nessie bit her lip the same way her mother always had and still does when she's frowning. She hadn't wanted to think about things going wrong in Forks while she was gone. Slinking back out the door and down the stairs to the kitchen next to the entry way she found Jacob rummaging through the refrigerator.

"You might want to call Sam and Leah Jake." Nessie suggested.

"Ha, I don't need to check in with those two. They know I'm ok." Jacob chuckled from inside the fridge. _At least he seems to have gotten past his disappointment._

"No, they caught wind of whatever I did yesterday. Edward and Bella went to go meet with Sam apparently. They weren't home when I called."

"Oh." Jacob's head finally emerging from the door with a look of concern on his face he spoke again. "I will as soon as I get some food in my stomach. I couldn't eat that plane food, I'm starving, and honestly I'm not sure how to cook any of this. Emily always cooks for us." Jacob looked geniounly confused.

"Here, how about you go call and I'll cook." She said taking the bowl of vegetables from him and the large package of what she assumed was a steak.

She took her time cutting up the vegetables assuming he'd return before she was done to tell her how he'd prefer to have them cooked. When he didn't return she threw them in a roasting pan, sprinkled them with olive oil, a little salt and pepper. She threw the steak on the large griddle top.

_What on earth is going on he's been gone for twenty minutes._

Rifling through the freezer in the pantry she found gelato for dessert. She was just putting his steak on his plate when Jacob finally emerged from upstairs. She'd reserved a smaller plate of vegetables for herself and a bowl of gelato with some fresh blackberries in it.

"Wow that smells great Ness, the steak is rare right?" Jacob asked obviously hiding the concern. He sat down and promptly started to shovel food into his mouth, obviously he was starving.

"Yes." Nessie answered and allowed a long pause before asking her next question. "What is going on in Forks?"

Jacob stopped putting food in his mouth for a few minutes and proceeded to swallow so he could answer. The look on his face pretty much said it all.

"They caught wind of the smell you caught the other day and were able to track it." Jacob went back to eating.

"What…what is it?" Nessie stammered as she asked only pushing the vegetables around on her plate.

Without looking up from his plate Jacob sight and frowned.

"Another vampire. Edward and Bella are tracking him now. They've not come back with him yet so they don't know if it's a Volturi or a random blood sucker." Jacob let out with a cringe. He hated being half way around the world away from his pack and not being able to control the situation, but getting Nessie through the next three weeks unscathed was also a priority. He would have to trust that Leah and Sam would be able to handle this on their own.

_What have I done bringing Jacob so far away from the reservation when his people need him and so does his pack. _

**** I'm really excited about whom I'm bringing into the next chapter and to see where it goes. Here's a hint, it's not a Volturi. ****


	7. Strange

**** 8/24/10 I'm really excited about this story. Chapter six had the highest debut traffic yet and I'm really excited about the number of people reading my story. I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read through it. I especially appreciate those who take the time to comment and are just as excited as I am. This chapter is a bit longer than the others bare with me, I think you'll love it as much as the others!****

Nessie stood at the sink washing the last of the dinner dishes after she'd cleaned up the kitchen when Jacob came back downstairs from taking a shower. The scent from the soap he used was intoxicating with a subtle hint of vanilla and mint.

"Wow, it took you a while to clean up the kitchen." Jacob remarked with a smirk.

"Wow, you took a really quick shower, sure you are clean?" She snapped back playfully.

"Ha Ha. So what do we do now? Nahuel isn't back, what's taking them so long?"

"I imagine they ran pretty far to hunt, if they hunt near here, it might tip the Volturi off that we are here." Nessie said turning back to the sink to rinse the last plate off and put it in the dish rack. "We should go check out the rest of the house and grounds."

"That could take years Ness." Jacob said only half joking. "That office is loaded with the newest stuff I hope this pad has a nice large flat screen TV on it."

"So you can watch Italian soap operas?" Nessie Joked as they started down the hallway. The first door they came to was just what Jacob had hoped for. It looked like a movie theater with the latest in digital sound and video equipment. Nessie sighed. _I guess we're done looking around. I'll never get him out of here_.

Jacob's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as he came in the doorway behind Nessie. He couldn't speak he was so overwhelmed with all the gadgets.

"Let's see what this does." Jacob said when he could finally talk again. He pressed a large button on a remote that was sitting on a small table next to a recliner he'd sat down in. The whole electronics system came to life when he pressed the button. A few short clicks later and Jacob had the satellite on an Italian news channel. He wrinkled his brow clearly not able to understand what the young television anchor was saying. He switched the channel a few more times and found CNN. Not really his taste, but it was the only thing he could understand. His eyes still trained on the television in a trance "Awesome."

Jacob shut it off and stood up just as Nessie was contemplating sitting down herself to wait on him finish ogling the fancy entertainment system. "Let's go finish looking around, I want to come back to this." His grin only cemented how in love with it he was.

Down the hall were a few smaller bedrooms. _Wow this house is huge!_ There was one room to the back of the house that was outfitted as a workout room, but it looked as if Nessie could push a few of the smaller machine out of the way so she could dance. There was a small catholic chapel at the very back of the house. She didn't go in, just stood in the door and peered in. There were several small prayer desks and a modest alter made of wood. I wonder if they actually hold a mass here. Obviously Jacob was thinking the same thinking the same thing. _I don't know if it's been our years together or my heightened vampire senses, but Jacob is so easy to read._

With the exception of the entertainment room and the office upstairs the rest of the house was furnished with antique furnishing including carpets, chairs, and tables. The two emerged out the door they had come in when they first arrived and walked towards the garden. It was dark now, but the security lights on the outside of the house provided plenty of light to find their way to the back of the house. From what Nessie could tell there was a small rose bush maze and a vegetable garden closer to the house and several grape vine rows and fruit trees further out in the yard. Walking through a small wrought iron gate they found the pool that was dimly lit from the house. The pool itself was lit from inside it seemed making it perfect for night time dips.

Nessie became uneasy sitting outside. She could smell the other vampires around. They could be miles away and she could smell them.

"Let's go inside." Nessie stammered with a sudden chill.

"What are you afraid of the dark?" Jacob teased.

"No, can't you smell that Jacob. There are so many of them." She bristled at the thought. She continued as she started to walk back towards the house "Let's go watch a movie and wait for the others to come back."

"Yeah, doesn't bother me though. I'm pretty used to the blood sucker smell now. What's got you all bothered Ness?" Jacob asked concerned as he shut the door behind them. He started to lock it and thought better of it since Nahuel and his aunt were still out.

"There are just so many of them. There are so many scents that I recognize but that I don't at the same time. It makes me uneasy because it doesn't feel friendly like at home." Nessie sunk into a large leather sofa and waited for Jacob to join her. "I don't feel prepared for this at all."

"Relax, you'll do great. It's hard not to love you at first sight." He grinned as he plopped down next to her and reached for the remote. After a few minutes of fiddling Jacob had it on a list of movies that were able to play from the remote system.

Two hours into the movie Nahuel and his aunt still had not returned. "I'm going to call Alice, see what she knows. I don't know why it's taking them so long." Nessie said getting up from the couch and heading up the stairs. It was obvious the new surroundings and the absence of their traveling companions were making her nervous.

"Hey, Alice." Nessie greeted.

"They are on their way back, they went a little further than planned to avoid detection from the Volturi I suppose." Alice answered without being asked. "Bella and Edward haven't returned yet, they are getting closer to the other vampire, but they are having trouble getting close enough."

Nessie chuckled. This was the usual phone call with Alice, she knew you would be calling and she knew what you would ask. "Thank you Alice."

"Get some sleep Nessie, I will call you when I know Bella and Edward are coming back." Alice remarked before she hung up the phone.

_I can always count on Alice to know_. Nessie gave an audible sigh before hanging up the phone on her end.

"Let me guess, they are on their way back and Bella and Edward are getting a lot closer to the Vampire." Jacob remarked without even turning around. She could tell he was smiling without seeing his face.

"Yes." She said softly and sat down next to him. "How'd you guess?"

"First because you are being too paranoid. Second because this remote can do anything. I found a speaker phone application on this remote. I heard the whole conversation down here." Jacob broke into a howling laughter as Nessie punched him in the shoulder. Just as the movie was wrapping up Nessie heard the side door open and two sets of footsteps walk in the entranceway just down the hall.

"Renesmee…Jacob."

"In here Nahuel." Nessie called from her comfortable spot on the couch snuggled in Jacob's arms watching a different movie. This movie was much older and in Italian but the English subtitles made it bearable.

"Wow, what is all this." Nahuel said looking genuinely dumbfounded as he walked through the entrance. His aunt had already gone up the stairs to her room to unpack presumably.

"It's a man's dream." Jacob exclaimed sitting up and grabbing the remote.

It was clear to Nessie that their private time was over. Jacob would be too engrossed in showing Nahuel all the things the remote could do.

"I'll leave you boys be. I'm going to dance for a while." Nessie said from the doorway.

"Have fun." Jacob called after her. She knew he probably hadn't even turned around to say it. It took her no time to dress and return to the workout room. She pushed a few machines back and started stretching on the bars. Soon she was losing herself in thought going through each exercise with extreme care and precision letting the worry of the day melt away.

"Alice says Nessie has called twice. Esme talked to her the first time and Alice let her know we were still looking for the other vampire just a little bit ago." Edward said to Bella as he paused to get another reading of where this thing was going.

"She was worried?"

"Yes, Nahuel and his aunt had been gone for some time. She was worried the Volturi had found out about them being there early. Alice hasn't seen anything to suggest that. She was worried about this thing we are tracking. I don't get the feeling that it means harm, we just need to figure out who it is." Edward explained then added, "Put your shield around me. I think its blocking me somehow. With it maybe I can get closer to it."

"I will try. I've never really done it while we were moving before." Bella said unsure of herself. Even after seven years she hadn't gained the confidence in her power. Stretching it was easy now. Doing it while moving was another story. She pushed the shield over him and brought it as close as she could. "Ok, start running slow and then pick it up. I will let you know if it drops."

Edward started off slow as she'd requested and built up speed. He wished that Bella had more confidence in her ability. It was such a profound one, equally as deadly as Edward being able to hear someone's every thought.

They ran up a ridge and broke through some trees and Edward caught sight of something in the clearing a few miles away. Whomever it was had sat down to rest presumably. It was not moving.

Edward and Bella slowed their canter down the ridge towards the clearing. They didn't want to scare the Vampire away. They only talk to it and find out its plans. As they came to the edge of the clearing they slowed to a walk. Bella found it wasn't hard to keep the shield up while running, but it was far easier to do at slower speeds. They could see him sitting there in the middle of the clearing with his back turned to them. They stopped about twenty feet from the vampire.

"I apologize for intruding on your solitude sir." Edward said offering an olive branch to the relative unknown in front of him.

The Vampire stirred from his spot and stood as he swiveled around to meet their gaze. As he stood Edward could tell he looked older then Bella or he, maybe around the same age as Carlisle. His hair was blonde and cut neatly despite his appearance as a nomad. He wasn't as big as Emmett but he was close. Edward guessed he'd played sports before he was turned into a Vampire. The most surprising feature though was his eyes, vivid amber like their own. Clearly this was not a newborn and he'd chosen to life the same life as the others.

"You've been tracking me for days." The vampire spoke for the first time with a deep low base voice.

"Yes, we have. My name is Edward Cullen; this is my wife, Bella." Edward gestured to Bella who was standing a few yards behind him holding up her shield. She sensed that whoever this was before them was a shield as well. Bella could see it twisting around him trying to keep them from moving closer to him. She imagined it was pretty effective in keeping threats at bay. "We've only come to see what your plans are for the area. Obviously your hunting habits are similar to ours."

Edward continued to explain the treaty with the Quileute and the hunting. The almost silent vampire nodding in understanding. It was clear now he meant no harm.

"I've never met other vampires who drank from animals. I'd heard of a family who had once lived in this area that did as such. They named a doctor with your last name. Are you part of that coven?" The Vampire asked.

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen, indeed, he is my creator." Edward admitted to the stranger. In return he asked, "Do you know how long you've been a vampire or who your creator is?"

"Less than a decade, I really can't recall. The creator I don't remember much, only that it was a female." The stranger answered.

"Dr. Cullen is not far. Would you like to meet him?" Edward offered. If he'd come this far just on a rumor that Carlisle was here certainly he would like to meet him.

"Certainly." The Vampire nodding and all three ran the miles in the forest between the clearing and the Cullen home and only slowed when they approached the porch. "Do you need to introduce me?"

"No, my sister Alice has already seen what is going on." As Edward answered the door opened to Alice grinning.

"Come in, Carlisle wants to meet you too." Alice said smiling at the stranger.

"We're in the dining room." Carlisle called from across the house.

The four walked single file towards the dining room and filed in. Everyone took seats except the visitor.

"I'm sorry for intruding on your coven Dr. Cullen. I've heard so much about you. What I heard of your lifestyle interested me." The stranger spoke first.

"Nonsense, you aren't intruding." Carlisle corrected him.

"I spend my first few years drinking human blood as I was taught and what I thirsted for, but I hated being a killer. I'd heard rumors of a vampire coven that drank only animals. It's become my lifestyle choice. I can't imagine going back to killing humans."

"It's an honorable choice to make. You remember nothing of your creation or your creator?" Carlisle asked.

"It was some time ago, though I imagine not as long as others in the room. I was living in Seattle at the time going to graduate school. My creator was a woman. I never got a clear look at her. She came from behind. I lived with a large coven of newborns for some time. They almost being bread for something, some sort of attack. I escaped as they left. I had a small friend that left with them and was supposed to join me, but I've not seen or heard from her since." The stranger noticed the look on the coven's faces, it was clear they knew of whom he was speaking. The blonde sitting closest to him was bearing her teeth at an obviously painful thought.

"One escaped from Victoria." Alice said in almost a whisper. This wasn't something they even considered to be possible. Certainly the Volturi had cleaned up what had not come their way.

"Your friend, her name was Bree?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes have you met her? Have you seen her?" The stranger almost appeared desperate for a minute.

"Yes, she was among the group Victoria sent to attack us. The Volturi guard destroyed her. She had surrendered to, but they would not let her remain because she was part of the group that broken the rules."

"Rules? Volturi?" he asked confused.

"The Volturi are sort of the government for vampires. They enforce the rules to make sure nobody exposes out kind to humans. Our secret must stay safe, when things get out of hand. They step in and dispose of the evidence." Carlisle explained.

"So she's gone?" The stranger asked in a whisper.

"Yes. Would you like to join us, there is also a coven in Alaska the feed as we do too if you would like some companionship. Esme and I already live in Alaska. The rest of the coven will be joining us after our return from our trip to Ireland and possibly Italy is complete." Carlisle offered the companionship of the coven to the stranger, it was clear he meant no harm and had probably been on his own for quite some time.

"I would like to stay with you for at least some time. I want to learn more from you Dr. Cullen." The stranger answered just as the phone rang.

"It's Renesmee." Alice spoke up. "She wants to talk to Bella." The stranger wondered how she kept doing that. _She'd known they were coming to the door, she'd known he wanted to speak to Carlisle and now she knows who's on the phone and who they want to talk to?_

"She can see the future and I can read minds." Edward answered without being asked. The stranger clearly startled nodded. _I thought I was special being able to keep people away from me. Clearly this family has many talents._

"Not all of us, but some, my wife and daughter included." Edward nodded back at the stranger. _Daughter? You'll have to explain that_ _later,_ the stranger thought. Edward nodded in agreeance and smiled.

Bella rose from her seat and walked out of the room to pick up the cordless phone.

"Hello Renesmee, I see you've made it to Volterra. Yes he is, we'd all like to talk to you, may I put it on speaker phone?" Bella asked.

"Yes" The stranger could hear from the other end of the phone.

Bella pushed the speaker phone and put the handset down in the middle of the table.

"Renesmee, darling, we're so happy you made it to Volterra safe and sound." Carlisle said from the head of the table.

"Have you found the vampire?" The voice from the other end of the phone asked picking up pace with each question. "Is he trouble? Do I need to send Jacob home? Do I need to come home?"

"Yes, we've found him. He's here with us Renesmee. He feeds as we do. He was actually trying to locate me." Carlisle answered. "There is no need for any of you to return. We plan on making our trip to Ireland in two days as planned."

"What is your name?" Nessie asked and obvious question that the rest of them had not. Every set of eyes in the room turned toward him in anticipation for the answer.

"My name is Fred." The soothing bass voice answered.


	8. Maybe

****9/7/10 Sorry for the late update. I had all of last week off work and I was still incredibly busy. This was a difficult transition chapter to write it took me a bit to decide where exactly I wanted to take it. I hope to have at least one more written for this week or I fear revolt from my friends lol. As always I hope you like it and thank you so much for reading and commenting!"**

The group had long sense broken up and gone to do their own thing. Carlisle had taken the new comer to his study to have a deeper discussion with him. A few of the others were packing their suitcases for Ireland. Edward and Bella took their leave and returned to their house.

"I thought all of Victoria's newborns were killed." Bella said pulling out the suitcases out of the closet and tossing them on their bed and repeating the same action till the bed was covered in four large suit cases.

"I thought we were going to Ireland for 3 weeks Bella not 3 months. You are as bad as Alice." Edward said poking fun at her. She scowled at him and returned to the closet to pick out clothing. "I'm sure if the Volturi had known about Fred he'd have met the same demise as Bree did. I'm not so sure they let him live now if they knew he was one of Victoria's newborns."

"He eats animals like we do though and he made that choice on his own free will. He's not done anything to draw attention to himself. Why would they destroy him?" Bella asked the crease in her brows that showed her displeasure was more obvious now.

"They may believe that we were hiding him, especially after we tried to save the girl. He obviously made the choice at least a year ago and has been living that way on his own. Though that might very well be the only thing that would save him if they did find out." Edward conceded. He loved watching his wife pack the bags. She packed just as much as Alice always had for him, but she obviously wasn't as skilled at fitting it all in, in just the right way to make it fit.

"What are we going to do with him, just leave him here to fend for himself?" She asked throwing her full weight on top of the suitcase she was trying to close, finally managing to zip up the last few inches.

Edward paused before he spoke searching the minds of the other family members for the answer. "He's coming with us. Rosalie is adding a last minute ticket and Alice has gone to town to buy a bag and supplies for Fred. Carlisle thinks it would be foolish to leave him here. His abilities could be useful if we have to confront the Volturi. Carlisle has told him the story and he's willing to help. He's very sad about Bree." Edward ended thoughtfully.

"She was his mate?" Bella asked removing two of the suitcases from the bed and carrying them to the door behind Edward who had taken the first two.

"No." Edward paused. "He uses the word family. She was like a much younger sister to him." He paused again and laughed at the next thought. "You will love this, remember when he said he was a graduate student? He was in law school. He was a blood sucker before he even got bit. Jacob is going to love that part."

"You two have got the worst sense of humor." Bella retored rolling her eyes and shoving the last suitcase in the car.

"Get in the car Mrs. Cullen." Edward grinned. "We've got a plane to catch."

The scene at the house was much of the same. Several of the Cullen's cars were being loaded up and parked in a row along the drive way when Bella and Edward returned.

"We're taking him with us." Carlisle announced as they came through the front door.

"We know." Bella answered pointing to Edward. Sometimes it was hard to be surprised about anything with Edward or Alice around.

"Ah right." Carlisle smiled. "Nessie called while you were out. I promised her you would call her as soon as we arrive in Bantry Bella." Bella acknowledged and the group moved quickly to the cars and then to the airport to await their flight to Ireland.

"They are on their way to the airport." Nessie announced as she walked back into the theater room. They'd spent the better part of their first day there in the theater watching old movies subtitled in English and dozing on and off. Nahuel and his aunt had gone to Pisa to site see since their first day there had been rainy and cloudy and had not returned yet.

Before Nessie could sit down she heard a small wrap at the side door near the kitchen. Walking at a normal pace to the door she opened it to find a small woman in her late 60's standing there holding a lovely wooden box.

"May I help you?" Nessie asked. She'd wanted to say it in her flawless Italian but avoided it to not raise suspicion.

"A call to my store this morning, someone has rented these for you to wear for the ball." The woman said in semi-broken English. "Alice Cullen?"

"My name is Renesmee Cullen, but Alice is my Aunt yes." Nessie confirmed.

"Ah, yes Renesmee that is the name she gave me." The woman conceded and laid the wooden box on the table in the kitchen. By now Jacob had come around the corner and into the kitchen and was watching the two women from the doorway.

The woman opened the box to reveal several sets of ornate jewelry.

"Those must be from Alice." Jacob commented and retreated back to the theater, clearly he was not needed to handle this stranger.

"She was very specific about colors and what she wanted sent. She said you would know what pieces went with what dresses when you opened them. Would you like to try any of them on before I go?" The woman asked.

"I would love to since I'm not even sure how this one would clasp." Nessie said pointing to an intricate bracelet in one corner of the box. "Would you like a cup of coffee or tea? What is your name?" Renesmee asked.

"My name is Beatrice Bianchi from De Luca Gallery in Volterra. It was my grandfather's shop before it was mine. We carry many pieces. Ms. Cullen ordered several Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpel pieces for you. All of it is on loan with the exception of the watch in the bottom drawer." The woman pulled out the bottom drawer and removed a leather watch box. Inside was a delicate diamond watch that looked like it was wavy. "This is Cartier. It's a gift to you from Alice, for your birthday."

Beatrice helped her put it on. The whole wrist was encrusted with diamonds. This was the watch that Nessie had been admiring one day when they were online looking for clothing. Alice had obviously opted for the more expensive version with the diamonds around the entire watch band. She would have to be extra careful with this piece. She must have decided to purchase it early for her so she could wear it while she was in Italy.

"Thank you. It's all very lovely Ms. Bianchi." Nessie said still tracing the waves on the watch band. She imagined that Beatrice was a bit suspicious that she was handing over what was probably and outrageously expensive watch to a woman who barely looked old enough to be driving. She ignored the matter though and showed the woman to the door thanking her profusely for her visit.

"What was all that about?" Nessie heard Jacob ask as she came back in the kitchen. He'd returned and was helping himself to another bowl of chocolate gelato from the freezer.

"It was a lady from the jewelry store in town. Alice rented some pieces for me from her store for me so I'd have something to wear for the balls and a watch as a gift for my birthday. I hadn't even thought of that." Nessie sighed as she sat down in front of the wooden box on the table. She sifted through several drawers with earrings, bracelets and necklaces, all of which she was certain perfectly coordinated with the dresses hanging in her boudoir upstairs. "I think I'm going to put these away for now. Would you go out hunting with me? I don't want to go alone or be gone long."

"Sure." Jacob answered as Nessie picked up the box and walked from the room with it. He wondered what was bothering her so much. He couldn't quite put his thumb on what could be causing the shift in her mood. He decided she was just overwhelmed because of the jewelry. There looked to be quite a bit of it in the box and all of it overly expensive.

Upstairs Nessie locked the box of jewelry including her new watch in the boudoir. She still had not opened the garment bags with the gowns in them. She was much too tired to play dress up tonight. She felt week from not hunting for some time. She decided it was a lack of blood and too much human food that was making her so tired lately. She changed he cloths into pair of shorts and a t-shirt that she used for running when she was in forks. After lacing up her tennis shoes she headed back down the stairs. Jacob was already waiting for her at the door when she came back from writing a note for Nahuel and his Aunt.

They stepped outside and began with a brisk jog into the grass. Nessie was following her senses leading her close to town but still far enough away from people. She caught the smell of wild boar and thought of Emmett. She was sure he would love to wrestle a few of those. Instead she took off towards the scent of a deer. She surprised it quickly and had it drained before Jacob caught up to her and phased. He'd tried to keep up with her in human form but he'd lost her a few minutes before.

"Come on old man." She taunted him as he came to her side. Clearly she was feeling better after a snack. "Ready for another?" Nessie asked shortly before taking off after another deer.

After draining the second one she looked up with a peculiar look her eyes trained on the distant wall into Volterra. Nessie could hear Jacob phasing behind her and putting his pants back on.

"What is it?" he asked in a whisper as he came out of the trees.

Nessie reached for his hand as if she was wanted to hold it. Instead she showed him what she'd seen so far in the distance.

"What are they doing there? I thought they were going to Pisa. Maybe they just came back early and decided to go into town." Jacobs's words came fast when he saw what Nessie had.

As her muscles tightened her relaxed mood disappeared. All Nessie could manage to say was "Maybe."


	9. Safe

**9/14/2010 - just short of 200 hits in the first 24 hours for this chapter...Frickin' amazing. Thank you all for reading and commenting!**

**9/12/2010 - I want to thank everyone for reading this again, I hit another all time first day high for the story at 140 hits. That's amazing! All of your comments are so wonderful and encouraging. I'd love to hear from more of you! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

When her body released enough for her to think again Renesmee's thoughts started to race. _What were they doing in the city? How long were they there? Did they go willingly or did the Volturi find them? Are we in danger? Is Jacob in Danger?_

"Nessie stop please, you're making me sick as fast as you are throwing up those images." Jacob pleaded with her. He was physically nauseous from the spinning thoughts she'd shown him.

"Sorry Jake." Nessie was obviously unaware at the time that she was still holding his hand dropped it and let her own hands cover her mouth as she watched Nahuel and his Aunt speed a more direct route to the house. "We need to go back now. I don't know what to do. I can't even call Edward and Bella or anybody they are still on that flight to Ireland."

"Let's just go back and see what they say. They were probably just sightseeing. If they took a bus to Pisa and back, that's where it stopped. Let's just go talk to them." Jacob suggested nudging Nessie playfully trying to calm her down. Begrudgingly she agreed and started the run back at what she considered a slow jog so Jacob could keep up with her running in human form.

As they neared the house they could tell the lights were on downstairs and one upstairs where the office window would be. Nessie slowed to a walk as they neared the far edge of the garden and walked the rest of the way. She could feel the tension building back up.

"Nessie, relax please, you're over reacting." Jacob said taking her hand and squeezing it.

She pulled it back and crossed her arms as they continued to walk back to the house. To be honest she was furious. First at Nahuel and his aunt, _how could they just walk into Volterra like that without mentioning the visit to Jacob or her?_ _What would have happened if they had been seen by the guard? If the Volturi really have something planned it could have jeopardized the entire trip. _Second at Jacob, _I don't know why he's being so overly positive. _Sometimes his inability to see the consequences of the smallest actions irritated her. It never lasted long and all was forgiven quickly. It just bugged her that this seemed like a major deal to her and he wanted to pass it off, sure that it was nothing.

Jacob reached out for her hand again. He could tell she was frustrated with him again. This time she took his hand and held it. Clearly she was too worried he'd see why she was too upset and did not want to share that with him. He pulled her around to face him. Her face was still creased with worry but she was still the beautiful woman he'd fallen in love with.

"Nessie, relax—please." He restated as he bent down to kiss her. He couldn't tell if she'd whispered yes or if he'd seen it in her head, but he'd felt the heat of the kiss relax her before he pulled away. He lifted one hand and brushed a couple of loose bronze curls from her face gazing into her warm brown eyes. They were the same color of brown Bella's had once been. He loved the way her smile made them light up. Right now though they were stained with anxiety. It was clear she was worried about where Nahuel was aunt had been that afternoon.

"Come on, let's go inside." Jacob wrapped one arm behind her and guided her towards the side door. Adding in a hushed low gravely tone as he opened the door for her "Let me to the talking."

They could hear the television on in the theater room. Someone was watching the Italian news channel on a low volume.

"Are you hungry?" Nessie asked absently as they walked past the kitchen.

"Yes, but it can wait. I'll let you make me another steak when we're done." His big grin stretched across his face. Nessie rolled her eyes and paused as he stepped in front of her going into the theater room.

"Hey Nahuel, how was the site seeing trip?" Jacob asked plopping down on one end of the plush leather sofa. In a tone of unbelieving curiosity continued "Did you guys run all the way there?"

"No, ha ha, no we took the bus that stops just inside the gate to Volterra. My Aunt did not want to ruin her new Italian pumps she bought in Pisa." Nahuel said pointing to the bag and shoe box sitting against one wall.

Don't worry we did not get caught by the Volturi. We were not in the gate long. I suspect though Nessie we should go soon. I don't think we can lurk here much longer without them suspecting our presence." Nahuel explained.

Nessie felt a rush of relief flood out of her only to be replaced by a mild concern that the Volturi might have caught their scent and followed them back. She tightened her jaw as she lowered herself onto the sofa next to Jacob and rested her body next to him. "Are you sure? Are you sure you weren't followed or seen?"

"Yes, they would have been here by now if they had caught us. Not to mention they would have found you first." Nahuel smiled and shifted his attention back to the news.

"I think we should go as soon as the sun sets tomorrow to see the Volturi." Nessie suggested with obvious concert showing on her face. "Jacob can walk with us to the clock tower then go back to the house like Carlisle suggested. I should be able to talk to Edward and Bella in a few hours once they land in Ireland. Maybe Carlisle can come up with a better plan."

Not giving Nahuel an opportunity to respond she lifted herself up from the couch abruptly and headed toward the kitchen. "Still want that steak Jake?" She called from the hallway.

"Yes." He called getting up from the couch much slower than her. It was clear that was her cue she wanted to talk to him in the kitchen. They would be able to hear everything Jake said, but Nessie would be able to talk undetected.

When they got to the kitchen she lifted her hand and placed it on his face. _Do you believe them? _"Do you want me to cook it rare again?"

Nodding his head in understanding of her plan to talk he answered, "Yes, I do". It was obvious he though everything Nahuel had said was the truth. "I think the vegetables are a good plan as well." He continued meeting her gaze.

Her look of concern remained as she put the steak on the griddle and returned to the fridge to grab the vegetables she planned on cutting and throwing on the griddle as well. _ I just have this feeling they are up to something, but I don't really have a choice to believe them without proof do I? _She said more then she asked as she brushed his arm. "Do I have to eat too?"

"No, you can't, you said you were going to dance." He answered. "You should go do that down, I can finish up here. You need to relax." He really meant the last part she'd been tense since she saw Nahuel and his aunt coming out of the gates to Volterra. She had loosened a little, but he could feel her growing tense again.

"I think I will do that." She said handing Jacob the tongs she'd been using. "I should be able to call Bella and Edward soon as well." _I'm going upstairs to change. _

Jacob turned back around. He knew the reason she touched him the last part. She intended to go past the office upstairs to see what Nahuel aunt was doing in the office. Nessie flew softly up the stairs and paused before the office door. It was closed but she could hear the hushed voice inside. She made out pieces of the conversation and it was defiantly about the shoes she had bought that day in Pisa. Satisfied Nessie returned to her room and changed into a leotard.

She danced for hours before she realized it was past the time her family would have arrived in Ireland. She returned to her room and changed back into the running gear she'd worn earlier in the day. As she slid back out her door she noticed Jacobs room slightly ajar. He was fast asleep with the television on an American sitcom dubbed in Italian. She slipped in and turned the TV set off and pulled the afghan at the foot of the bed over him. It didn't cover him all the way but it was better than nothing. She slipped back out the door and continued down the hall and out the side door. When she felt she was far enough away from the house she dialed the preset number for Bella's phone. It rang once before she heard the phone being picked up on the other end.

"Renesmee, we've made it. You should see the countryside. It's beautiful!" Exclaimed Bella before Nessie could even get out what she needed to discuss.

"Bella, I need to talk to everyone. Can you put it on speaker phone?" Nessie asked walking a few feet deeper into the rose bush maze.

"Yeah, sure hold on." Nessie could hear Bella call to the others and then turning the phone to speaker phone. "Ok, we're here."

"How has Italy been dear? Have you been sightseeing?" Esme asked first.

"No, not really. We went hunting, we really haven' left the house much."

"Even Nahuel and his aunt, you're just sitting around the house?" Esme asked again.

"That's what I needed to talk to you guys about. Jake and I went hunting earlier. We were standing in a field south of the main gate where nobody could see us. We thought Nahuel and his aunt had gone to see Pisa and to shop, but then we saw them come out of the main gate to the city." Nessie paused as she sat down in the cool grass next to a bush full of red garden roses. "I just get the feeling something else is going on. Like they are hiding something. Jacob thinks I'm over reacting."

"Nahuel and his aunt came to us for help Nessie dear. I will have Alice key into them though to see if she can see them and what they know. They are too close to Jacob right now though." Carlisle informed her. "Would you like us to check later?"

"No, no I'm probably just being silly." She admitted picking blades of grass from beside her. Adding as he voice grew softer, "I'll just, keep my eyes out, just in case."

"Probably best." Edward added. "But tell us the instant you suspect something. I wouldn't take much to have Alice take a look at them again"

"Yeah." She admitted even quieter then before.

"I can see you are planning on going into Volterra tomorrow. We want to hear about it immediately when you return." He warned her.

"Yes dad. Goodnight everyone." Nessie called him dad, one of the few times she said it out loud. A round of goodnights on the other end and Nessie stood up making her way back to the house.

She opened the side door and headed towards the stairs. She was physically tired. Creeping down the hall she started to open the door to her room and noticed that Jacob was still sleeping sprawled across most of the bed. She cracked the door further and slid into the room and shut it behind her. Pulling back the covers she curled up next to him and stretched an arm across his chest and nuzzling her head into his chest, so much for Edwards warning, this was her choice. She was warm here and safe. No matter how scared she was something terrible was about to happen to her family, here is where she felt safe and secure. Next to Jacob, in his arms, she was at peace to fall asleep.


	10. Terror

The sunlight woke her the next morning as it peaked in the window. Jacob not surprisingly was still fast asleep sprawled across the bed. Her bronze curls were knotted where she'd obviously not had a great night's sleep. She slid out of the bed silently and back into her own room without as much as a sound. Peeking out her own windows she noted the sunshine wasn't going to last long today. The storm clouds were already rolling in. This would be perfect weather for their trip to Volterra since Nahuel's aunt wouldn't have to cover up as much. She wandered into the small bathroom in her room and began to run warm water in the claw foot tub. There were an array of salts and bubbles on a shelf in the room. She poured a little of the vanilla scented soap into the tub and watched it foam as she removed her cloths.

She dipped her toe in first to test the temperature and then slid the rest of her body. She was still exhausted from tossing and turning all night and found herself nodding off as she leaned her face on the side of the cold edge of the tub. She wasn't sure if it was a few moments later or several minutes when she heard the light wrap at her door. "Nessie, you in there?" she heard Jake ask from the other side of the door.

"Yeah" She made sure she was sufficiently covered in bubbles. "Come in, I'm covered."

She could tell Jake was blushing when he poked his head through the door despite the fact he was looking at the floor trying not to make eye contact and see anything he wasn't supposed to. "Your dad called a little bit ago Ness. He wanted to know if you'd left yet. I told him you'd call him back."

_So I was out for a while._

"Also, Nahuel and his Aunt are ready to go to Volterra when you are. It looks like it's going to rain here in a little bit. Might want to think about that when you get dressed." The red deepened in his face. Nessie had never seen him blush quite that colored, it amused her. "I'm going to go make some pancakes and eggs, want some?"

"Sure" Nessie smiled gently. _He's not even looking at me. _She giggled and picked up bubbles blowing them to his feet. "I'll be down in a minute."

"Ok" He smiled at the bubbles at his feet but didn't look up as he shut the door.

_I wonder if he knows I slept in the bed with him last night. I hope he's not upset, he didn't act upset but he sure looked embarrassed, that's not like him._ She slipped under the water getting it wet and reached for her shampoo and conditioner as she came back up. When she finished washing the last of the suds out of her hair under the faucet she grabbed the large fuzzy yellow towel from the bar and stepped into her room. _He has to know, my bed was still immaculate. _ She bit her lip as she started to paw through the clothes Alice had paced for her. She pulled out a dress she'd not seen before. A retro pencil skirt and ruffled white top attached to the hanger was a wide brimmed black hat. _Very Italian Alice._ She slipped it on and went back to the bathroom to dry her hair. She pulled it up into a tight bun at the nape of her neck as she reemerged from the bathroom to look for her shoes. The black pumps were easy enough to find. Collecting the rest of her belongings and a shawl she walked downstairs.

"Wow" She heard Jacob say as he looked up from his plate. "I haven't seen that dress before."

"I think it's new, Alice packed it." She said absently walking to table. "Thanks for making breakfast."

"No prob." He answered turning his attention back to the massive pile of eggs on his plate.

"So how did you sleep last night" She asked testing the waters.

"Um…ah. Not bad. I just had a really wild dream and I'm trying not to think about it so your dad doesn't kill me for it later." He said blushing the same deep shade of red she saw earlier.

"About?" She asked dragging out the syllables.

"Um, well wasn't that bad. Just that you crawled into bed with me last night."

She smiled letting one side of her lips curl up. "Oh."

She finished the last bite of eggs and pancakes and put the plate in the sink. "Don't be too bored without me today ok?"

"I'll be ok. I'm going to go for a run and then take a nap. Are you going to be gone all day?" He asked as Nessie picked up her hat and fastened it onto her head with a few pins from her clutch.

"I don't plan on it no. I'd like for this to be short since the following days might be longer." The look of worry spread across her face as Nahuel and his Aunt emerged from the hallway.

"We'll wait for you in the car Renesmee." Nahuel said as he walked to the door without so much as glancing at either of them.

"I'll try and hurry ok Jake. I wanted to do some sightseeing this evening with you." She said walking back into the kitchen. Leaning down to talk to him she whispered in his ear. "I love you Jacob Black. You weren't dreaming last night." She didn't even look back at him as she grabbed her stuff and walked out the door. She snickered under her breath as she walked to the car she liked that she affected him like that.

The atmosphere in the car was drastically different from inside. The air was cool and Nahuel and his Aunt did not seem happy.

"Are you two ok?" Nessie asked adjusting the mirror.

"Just nervous about today. We've only briefly met the Volturi." Nahuel answered quickly and coolly.

Putting the car in reverse and easing the car down the driveway and back out to the road she took the drive to Volterra at a human pace. It took the better part of thirty minutes to find a parking spot in the crowded streets. Finally she found a car leaving its spot along Viale del Ponti. They were going to have to walk a little ways, but she could use the time to steady her nerves. They had decided the previous night to leave Jacob at home. She'd though it might irritate them if she brought the werewolf with her into town for the visit.

Her heals clicked along the cobble stones streets. She took several mental notes about where she wanted to go when she went sightseeing, including a lovely little jewelry shop. She liked to pretend she wasn't like Alice, but honestly she loved shopping and finding something special.

They approached the town center quicker then she'd hoped. The clock tower was just where Edward had said it would be. She could see the doors he had told her to walk through when she arrived. She felt tightness in her chest just then as they approached the fountain in the center of the square.

"You are getting nervous, I can tell." Nahuel said looking at her with a look of concern. "Are you going to be ok? Do we need to stop and rest?"

"No, no I'll be ok." Nessie answered taking a deep breath and reaching for the door handle. The door was lighter then she expected and it swung open a little too easy. Once the three of them were inside she shut the door behind them. "Now what?" She asked genuinely confused as to what to do next.

"I thought Carlyle said they would come to us at this point." Nahuel too looked confused as they stood in the dark hallway alone. They never even heard the footsteps enter the room.

"Renesmee, Nahuel…you've joined us. The Elders are excited to see the both of you again. Please follow us." The deep voice requested. When the face took a step into the only light into the hallway Renesmee recognized the face from her father's description. He was larger than even her uncle Emmett.

"You must be Felix." She purred in her polite voice.

"Indeed. Please follow me, and watch your step. These first stairs are step." The group walked down a set of uneven stone steps and then down another stone hallway that lead to an elevator that looked strangely out of place in the historic building. Nessie was not sure exactly how many floors they had gone down but when the doors open they found a modern office setting in front of them. _Just as Mom described_. _That's not the same secretary though. This one is human though. _

They continued past the desk and through another set of doors that revealed the stone floor of the sanctuary. Nessie took a swift breath in. The air was shockingly cooler inside the round room then out in the office. She couldn't keep her eyes off the art in the room and they immediately traveled to the ceiling when she walked in the room. She'd only seen art like this in the books from her history classes in school. She'd borrowed an art book for a project once and had seen something similar. _ It's breath taking. _

"My Darling Renesmee, so happy you've joined us. I received your reply a few days ago, such a lovely response." The voice cooed from somewhere in front of her. Snapping her attention back forward she reached up and removed the pins from her hair and her hat.

"Tante Gratzie, Aro, so much for the invitation." She smiled sweetly at the vampire she knew was probably the most dangerous, she didn't see the ones her family had described called Jane or Alec. The only Vampires in the room where the guard and the ancients.

"I trust you've found a place to stay and it's comfortable."

"Yes we have a lovely home far in the countryside. Plenty of room to hunt."

He reached out for her hand. Instinctually she grabbed it to show him.

"Ah yes, that's right you've got such a lovely talent. The opposite of my own. How are your mother and father?"

"Very well." She showed him a lovely picture of the two of them only a few days prior at her party looking still totally in love.

"I see Bella has grown even more into her vampire skin." Aro grinned. "You dance now?" He asked truly interested.

"Yes, I've been offered a position with the Anchorage Ballet." She answered out loud for the benefit of the others in the room while showing Aro her memories of the last rectal she'd given."

"You must dance while you are here. I will have the secretary arrange a guest spot with the town's ballet while you are here. That is if you will indulge us. We do so love the arts."

He dropped her hand satisfied with all she'd shown him. "I suppose Carlyle told you we're in the middle of festival season. There are many things to participate in within the city while you are here as well as one or two Volturi sponsored events you may be interested in. As you leave Chantal can give you the information you need. We'd very much like to have you join us for our grand ball. You can meet those of us who are missing this morning. Nahuel we are also pleased to see you are well. The same invitations apply to you as well."

Before she knew it they were being escorted back up to the street level by Felix and Demetri. _That was so short. He barely even talked to Nahuel and his aunt._ Nessie stepped out into the street without her hat only to realize the rain had begun. She quickly replaced her hat and before she could say anything Felix handed her an umbrella that she took with a little confusion.

"Would be a shame to ruin that lovely hat and dress in this rain." He said to her handing another to Nahuel as he walked out into the street with his aunt. _They are being so nice to us, this feels so very strange. I'm going to have to call Edward and Carlyle as soon as I return._

_Thank you Felix._ She said as she reached forward and shook his hand before he ducked back inside. He looked shocked that he could hear her voice at first but then he returned her smile and shut the door.

They returned down the same street they entered the city in back to the car. By the time they reached the car the rain was coming down in sheet. The ride back to the cottage was silent as Nessie maneuvered the car deftly through the streets. As she left the city gate the thought occurred to her. _Jane and Alec were gone, why were they gone, did they know Jake was there? _She slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. _I have to check on him now._ The sheer terror drove the car faster down the winding roads. As she rounded the last corner into the driveway she saw what confirmed her fears. A dark black Mercedes parked in the driveway.


	11. Exhaustion

****11/1/2010 – Hey guys thought I'd treat you to another chapter ****. I took a few weeks off to get some stuff in order but I'm back to writing again. Please comment if you like it! I appologize for the sloppy Chapter. I was up very late writing and I was apparently more tired then I thought. I will edit this in the morning!****

When the car skidded to stop and the spray of gravel landed Renesmee was out of the car and opening the side door in a spit second letting it close sharply behind her completely disregarding the two guests who were close behind her.

She could hear Jacob's heartbeat the moment she opened the door. _At least he's alive._ She moved to the living room where heard him at. She slowed as she rounded the corner catching her breath.

"ALICE!" Nessie said startled. She was never so happy to see her aunt and not what she thought was waiting for her in the living room. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I forgot to pack a dress for you." Alice said catching her eyes, this was obviously not what she'd come here for. "Not to mention I really couldn't pass up the shopping. We should go, are you up to it? Your meeting with the Volturi went well. Jacob was just saying he wanted to lay down for a nap."

"Um, uh sure. Let me change."Nessie said motioning towards the stairs behind her_. _She could hear Nahuel and his aunt sitting in the kitchen, it sounded as if Nahuel was drinking tea.

"Nonsense, that outfit is perfect for shopping. Let's go, my plane back to Ireland leaves in about 6 hours." She said getting up from the chair and putting her raincoat back on. "Thank you for keeping me company Jake while I waited for Nessie. Sorry I kept you up."

Nessie's eyes drifted to Jacob for the first time since she walked in. It was clear Alice had already discussed her business with him. He looked just as concerned. "I'll be here when you get back Ness, we'll go sightseeing then." He said stretching out on a leather couch against the wall.

"Sure, yeah, I'll be back later Jake." She walked out of the room back towards the kitchen door and waved to Nahuel and his aunt as she went past. Outside in the black Mercedes was Alice already impatiently clicking her fingers on the wheel. She was pulling down the drive way the moment Nessie shut the door.

"WHAT is going on? WHY are you here?" Nessie demanded the second the car roared out of the driveway.

"I really was coming to bring you a gown for the Volturi Ball. It was too expensive to ship, it needed to be hand carried and I forgot to put it in your car when you went to the airport." Alice said training her eyes on the road that was flying past like a blur.

"Why don't I believe you?" Nessie asked keeping her eyes trained on Alice.

"Because now there is more." Alice sighed. "You didn't take Jake with you to the tower this morning. It lifted the cloud from around you and Nahuel and his aunt. I could see you. I could see them." Alice pulled the car into the parking spot that was just vacated by another vehicle. Nessie envied her ability to always know where there was a parking spot.

"Ok, well what did you see?" _Frankly this having to ask 20 questions was getting annoying_.

"Sorry Nessie, I just wanted to make sure we were far enough from the house before I really said something. I think they are the reason you are here. I don't think it was the Volturi's idea to summon you. They were here about a month before they came to see us. You were right yesterday when you called. They did meet with the Volturi. They saw Jane and Alec in Pisa."

"I KNEW IT!" Nessie screeched.

"Calm down Nessie, please, your heart racing is distracting me." Alice insisted before going back to what she knew. "Nahuel is planning on going to the Volturi if you refuse to marry him."

"Marry Nahuel? Really? Where the hell would he even get that from?"

"You are the only one remotely like him Nessie. He's fixated on you. You have to pretend like you know nothing for right now. I've called the rest of the family and told them what I know. They are working out a plan." Alice paused reaching for the car door, it was clear she really did intend to go shopping. As they walked up the cobblestone road into town she continued. "I only told a little bit of the story to Jake. You can't tell him more right now Nessie. It will mess the rest of what I saw up."

"You saw more."

"Yes, this trip really is a good opportunity Nessie. You are going to dance in front of quite a few people on Tuesday. You are going to get some really good offers and you need to consider them." Alice said her with her eyes trained on a jewelry store a few paces ahead of them.

"I'm going to Anchorage Alice. That's the end of the story. I won't be apart from my family. I won't be apart from Jake." Nessie said stopping in her tracks fuming that Alice would even entertain that idea.

Alice spun around to face Renesmee. Her eyes more serious then Nessie had ever seen.

"You may have to at least entertain the idea Nessie till this issue resolves itself. There is more at stake here if you refuse and run off with Jake then you realize. If the Volturi know you plan on having a relationship more than a fling with Jacob, it could reignite their anger towards the family. We don't know how they will react. We need to give Carlisle time to speak with them and investigate the rules. Nahuel thinks he can contaminate them by leading them to believe you two are being obvious about what you are. If you run off and he convinces them, they will destroy you both. "

"You think I'm going to run off?"

"I saw it Nessie, I had to tell you what was going and convince you it wasn't safe to do that. Promise me you aren't going to run off with Jake. We know how you feel about him. We support you, but you can't run off with him right now. Do you understand me? Do you promise me? Us?" Alice asked more frantic.

"Yes…yes I won't run off. " Nessie answered and started walking again towards the store. "How will I know what to do with you guys so far off and away?"

"The rest of the family is on their way here. The Irish Clan is coming with them. Carlisle felt he could talk to the Volturi and convince them better if Siobhan came with him. Their flight lands in about six hours. We will all be coming to the Volturi Ball next Saturday. Carlisle has already contacted them and they are pleased to have us. Do not let Nahuel know we are here. Jake knows the family is coming. We'll explain the rest to him later." Alice said as she held the door open into the shop.

The pair browsed the many glass cabinets filled with diamonds. Jessie's eyes paused momentarily on a beautiful ring in one corner of a cabinet on a far wall. Rubies and Champagne and yellow diamonds shaped like leaves twisting around a band. It reminded her of fall back in Forks.

"It's beautiful Nessie." Alice said not even looking at the ring. She could see it. "You have to stop thinking about running off with Jacob though. Aro reads minds. If he sees that though he could think we are lying to him."

"I'm done." Nessie said begrudgingly moving from the cabinet. She could hear Alice haggling with the saleslady over something but she wasn't paying attention anymore she was watching the rain drizzle down the windows of the shop. "All done! Come on, we need to make it to the dance shop on the far side of town before it closes. I didn't pack any dancewear. I didn't see this coming."

"I packed a few things Alice don't worry. I don't go anywhere without my shoes or gear." Nessie said as they ducked under an umbrella as they walked out the door.

"I don't think you understand Nessie. You aren't just dancing for the Volturi. You are going to be performing with the Volterra Ballet. The entire town is going to be watching you. Dignitaries will be here." Alice said walking more briskly towards the dance shop she'd mentioned.

"Awesome, I'm dancing for the Pope." Nessie joked trying to lighten the mood. The look on Alice's face suggested though that it wasn't a joke, but a very real possibility. "Oh, okay."

"Hello Ladies." The voice from behind them resonated.

"Felix, are you following me?" Nessie said turning around pouring on the charm.

"Absolutely not. I was sent to tell you the Volterra Ballet would be delighted to have you for their Tuesday festival performance. There will be two rehearsals. One on Sunday evening and one on Monday. The number to contact them is here. The sun will be coming out shortly ladies, have a great afternoon ladies." Felix handed her a card and walked off briskly back towards the town square.

"See I was right." Alice said elbowing her. A few moments later they ducked into the shop and found a lovely gauzy red dance dress.

The walk back to the car was almost too brisk to be human but Alice didn't have a choice as she didn't want to make a scene. The sun didn't peak out of the clouds until they arrived back at the house.

"I need to go pick up the family at the airport in Pisa. I will text you later with our address. You and Jake can stop by tomorrow. We'll talk more then." Alice said popping the trunk to the car for Nessie.

Nessie waved to Alice as she pulled out the driveway. There were several bags and boxes in her arms and opening the door was difficult. When it swung open suddenly by it she was a little stunned but relieved when she saw Jake's smiling face on the other side.

"You two were only an hour Nesse. How much did you two spend?" He said gaping at the bags in her arms.

"Quite a bit actually. I think Alice bought half the dance store out when I wasn't looking. I only asked for the red dress."

"She told me you would be dancing with the Volterra Ballet on Tuesday. She said I could come to that." He said taking a few bags from her and turning towards the stairs.

"Yes, Felix stopped us on our way to the dance shop actually." She admitted as she peered into the kitchen to see if Nahuel and his aunt were still there. "Where are Nahuel and his Aunt?"

"Gone hunting again. They left about five minutes before you got back." He dumped the bags onto the bed. Nessie did the same as she kicked off the heals she'd been wearing all day.

"I'll assume we are going to wait to go sightseeing till tomorrow?" Jake asked as he backed up to the door.

"Yeah" Nessie said exasperated. She grabbed his hand pulling him back in the door. _I'm so tired Jake. _

"I understand. It's been a difficult day." He pulled closer and kissed Nessie on the forehead. "I'll come and check on you in a little bit. I want to go clean up the kitchen."

Nessie hung up the garment bags without opening them. The black garment bag that was laying on the bed when she walked in must be the gown the Alice dropped off. She opened the zipper just far enough to see the color of the dress. The gauzy white strap at the top told her it would probably be beautiful and revealing. _I wonder who the designer_ is she thought as she zipped it back up and hung it with the others. She sat on the bed and removed her panty hose and replaced her dress with a pair of sweats she'd smuggled into her bags and a t-shirt that had belonged to Jake. She lay on the bed staring at the ceiling thinking about the day. She drifted off thinking about how she curled up the night before with Jacob and how warm and safe she felt. She was out, like a light.


	12. Revelation

****2/22/2010 FINALLY DONE WITH CHAPTER 12! Sorry it has taken so long loyal readers. I've moved twice in the last three months, once from Virginia to Alaska….and then we moved to a new apartment here because the first one was too small. I was adjusting to having a second kid to care for and trying to find a job (which I've pretty much given up on until we come back stateside next year)…Anyhoo…enjoy and comment if you like it.****

Renesmee woke a few hours later with her hair tangled with sweat. _Why is it so ungodly hot in here? It was raining and cool when I fell asleep._ When she rolled over to check the time on the bedside clock she found the source of heat sitting in the bed next to her.

"Oh, hey Jake. What are you doing?" the confusion was obvious on her face.

"Nahuel and his Aunt aren't back from their hunting trip. I really didn't want to sit down there and be forced to make small talk when they did come back." Jake smiled and brushed the hair from her face. "Is the TV up too loud? I can turn it off."

"No, no. I'm fine. I should get up anyhow. I would like to go hunting in a little while if you'd come with me_. It's not too far._

"Of course." He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she sat up next to him. They sat in silence for the next hour watching an Italian dubbed version of an American action flick.

Renesmee really wasn't interested in the plot she was too deep in thought about what Alice had said earlier that morning. _Why would Nahuel want to marry me? He doesn't know me? After he helped us the first time, when the Volturi wanted to destroy my family because of me, why would he want to now? There has got to be something else Alice isn't seeing here. I hope Carlisle can find something that would allow Jake and me to be together. I can't imagine what life would be like without him…._Nessie sucked in a sharp breath when she realized what she was thinking about in her head and that the look of hatred on Jakes face meant he was no longer paying attention to the movie.

_Jake, I'm sorry. Alice told me I wasn't supposed to tell you. They wanted to talk about it when we got there tonight. You can't do anything. It could mean my family being in trouble again. _ She looked him in the eyes frantically searching if he was about to lose control. His jaw tightened as he gritted his teeth and with a sigh he relaxed. Only the buzz of the cell phone broke her concentration. It was a text from Alice. They were there. _They made it in. Let me get dressed for the run and we'll go. Don't move. I don't want you to do something._ Jake's face broke out in a crooked smile and she instantly knew what he was thinking. _No Jake, I'm going to the bathroom to get dressed._ He laughed and turned his attention back to the television.

In her bathroom upstairs Nessie pulled on a pair of pink running shorts and a white t-shirt. She braided her hair with ease and skipped downstairs to find her running shoes that had been sitting by the back door. As she grabbed them she noticed Nahuel and his Aunt coming around the corner through the garden. She snatched the shoes and flew into the living room. _They're coming in now _Nessie thought as she slid next to Jake. She was teeing up her second shoe when they slid into the living room behind them.

"We're going for a long run and some hunting. I wore myself out today between my two trips to Volterra." Nessie announced as she rose and turned to face them in one solid smooth movement. She let a smile creep across her face. "I think we're going to wait till tomorrow to go site seeing, I really need to hunt."

"Perhaps we could come with you." Nahuel said sitting down in one of the leather recliners.

"Great yeah." Jake said sarcastically as he headed out of the room towards the door. One more smile from Nessie and out the door they went. By the time Nessie was out the door Jake was already phased and waiting for her in the garden.

They darted in a straight path towards where the house the family would be at. Twenty minutes of darting in and out of the thick trees, vineyards and fields. They came to the large farmhouse Alice had said they would be renting for their time in Volterra.

_Are you doing ok Jake? _She thought as she grabbed his hand as he strode past her after phasing, not even bothering to stop and wait for her.

"No, I'm not, I'm angry they wanted to hid this from me." Jake growled trying to jerk his hand from her.

"Jake it could mean so much trouble for us, for my family. We're here to think of a better political way to handle this." Nessie answered holding firmly to his hand. "They could destroy us all, do you want that?"

"No, I guess not." Nessie felt the tension between their hands ease a little bit.

"Let's go inside, and talk to them. Please just listen to them first." Nessie pleaded one last time before moving to the front door. Edward opened the door to them greeting Jacob with a look that bordered on anger and regret, but it was clear that it wasn't directed at Jacob. When their eyes met it was with mutual anger. Nessie hugged her dad now mirror the look of worry that was on his face.

They moved inside and to the back of the house where there was a large sunroom where the rest of the family had gathered. Nessie slid in between her mother and Esme on the couch against the far wall while Jacob preferred to lean against a sturdy armoire made of deep old colored wood. Nessie could see Jasper tucked into a corner working is best to calm Jacobs's mood.

"Most of us already know Alice, but would you please give a better explanation of what we've come here for?" Carlisle started looked towards Alice who was perched on the end of the sofa Emmett and Rosalie were lounging on.

"Nahuel and his aunt went to the Volturi yesterday. Nahuel wants to marry Nessie, he's willing to do anything including outing Jacob and Nessie as a couple." Jacob audibly snarled in a response to this statement. "I don't know how the Volturi will react to this revelation. They haven't decided yet, we're not even sure they'll do anything about it. They know about the wolves already when they stood with us."

Sucking in an unnecessary breath Alice continued with the worst part as if there could be. "Nahuel has it in his mind that the two of your should be able to produce children since you are both half human. This is his main motivation for pursuing you."

"I'm going to rip his head from his body." Jacob snarled again the look in his face getting more intense as the moments past. The look on Jasper's face became more and more concentrated as he had to try even harder to keep Jacob calm enough to stay human.

"What are we going to do?" Nessie asked eyes brimming in tears.

"We are going to continue as planned. You will go to the rehearsals for the Volterra Ballet, act as if nothing is wrong. I will be going to my old friends and study the law. Hopefully in the next day, two at most I can have a concrete answer and I can go and speak to the Volturi. Until then it's imperative we do not let Nahuel and his aunt know we are on to the game. "

The waves of tension coming from Jacob gradually settled. "We're sorry we couldn't tell you earlier Jacob, we knew this news would upset you. We don't want this anymore then you do. We know how you feel about Nessie. We would not interfere in what she wants. "Edward offered.

Jacob gritted his teeth but relaxed a little further. Most of them had come to accept his constant presence since Nessie's birth. Rosalie still occasionally spat a slur about being a mutt, but Jacobs's blonde jokes had long since gotten old.

"I know we haven't been here long, but I told Nahuel and his Aunt we'd be hunting. I don't want to come back smelling like vampires and not blood." Nessie said abruptly. "We should get going Jake."

"Sure, sure." Jake replied worlds calmer then he had been several minutes earlier at the deplorable news.

"Bye mom, dad, everyone. We'll come by early tomorrow morning if we can. If one of us can't slip out then other definitely." Nessie assured as they reached the front door.

The pair ran into a bank of trees that lead toward the house they were staying in without looking back.

"Nessie is really upset about Nahuel and the idea that he just wants to procreate with her, not that I can blame her." Edward muttered to Carlisle as they watched the tree line the two had just disappeared into.

"Certainly not. We should go see how Fred is doing." Carlisle motioned as he stepped out the front door. Edward and Carlisle moved toward the small house on the other side of the outdoor pool. It looked much like the main house but in much smaller proportions. Perfect for one or two people. After a soft wrap at the door they entered. Fred was busy at his laptop studying something so vigorously that he hardly noticed they walked in.

"I hope staying out here wasn't too much trouble for you. We didn't want you to be uncomfortable around Nessie or Jacob for that matter." Carlisle spoke first.

"No, not at all, I did catch a hint of the wolf, but he's pretty repulsive smelling. Crack addicts smell more appetizing then that." Fred answered with a chuckle.

"Good we're glad you were ok then. Perhaps you can meet them both when they return in the morning." Carlisle offered.

"Indeed." Fred smiled up at him and returned to the laptop screen. "I haven't been able to find much in the way of Volturi Law. A lot of my research is legends and such. I imagine the only way to find real law is to take a peek at the books. Do you think these Volturi will allow us into their library?"

"Yes, I spent a considerable amount of time in the library when I lived with them for a few decades. I studied every medicine book they had. They had a whole wall of law books I never even touched. Most of the shelf since they had been printed originally." Carlisle answered remembering the vast walls of books in the Volturi's private library.

"Excellent, well let's hope those books have held up. They had to have written their law somewhere." Fred said last before the two waved and left him back to his computer research.

_I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you what I knew earlier Jake, I'm so sorry I accidentally told you. I didn't know about the mating part. It makes me feel so filthy that he thinks of me as a way to 'procreate'._ Nessie said to Jake as she swallowed down the bile that came up with even the though. _I'm so full right now I'll be lucky if I can dance tomorrow_ she complained as she dropped her hand from his shoulder.

"Let's go home and get some rest then. I'm completely drained after today." Jake added and they started off back to the house.

As they walked in the back door they realized the house was very much empty. Nahuel and his aunt were gone again.

"Where could they have gone this time?" Jake asked looking around for a note.

"They went _shopping_." Nessie called out waving the note above her head. She removed her cell phone from her pocket and texted to Alice.

_They are gone again where did they go? _

_Shopping, at a jewelry store. _

_Ugh, really?_

_It's exactly what you think too, they won't be going back to the Volturi tonight though, they are returning soon. Get some rest, remember you are still dancing!_

_Thanks Alice._

Nessie handed Jake the phone and let him read what Alice had written. He gritted his teeth but managed to suggest that they get some rest before the two returned home. Jake really didn't want to face them again. They trudged up the stairs and down the hall towards their rooms._ Are you coming in with me? _Nessie asked him innocently.

"I don't think I should right now. If he knows we are sleeping in the same bed it might set him off, besides now your mother and father are in town…I don't need 3 vampires ready to kill me." He smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Good night."

_Night Jake._


End file.
